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Storrington has a ring of three bells, hung in an unfinished NW tower.
The church was designed by Edward Goldie and built between 1902 - 1904. The total cost came to c£6,000. |
|
The Bells
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Date |
Canon |
Hanging |
Clock 1 |
0-2-42 cwt |
13.63" |
2624 Hz |
E |
Gillett & Johnston |
1919 |
Flat? |
Dead? |
Clock 2 |
0-3-14 cwt |
16.00" |
2188 Hz |
C# |
Gillett & Johnston |
1919 |
Flat? |
Dead? |
Clock 3 |
1-1-17 cwt |
19.00" |
1748 Hz |
A |
Gillett & Johnston |
1919 |
Flat? |
Dead? |
3 Bells, 9-0-25 in A (Tuning 1,3,5 of 6)
In 1919, Gillett & Johnston supplied three bells to form a clock chime. Together, they form a minor chord
Storrington, Our Lady of England has a ring of 3 bells hung for full circle ringing in a South facing brick tower.
Storrington is in fact the only Roman Catholic church in Sussex to have a ring of full circle bells. Before the current 3 bells by John Taylor & Co, they originally had a chime of three bells by Gillett & Johnson. Elphicks gives: Treble 13.63" , 2qr. 4lb. in E; 2nd, 16" , 3qr 14lb. in C and tenor 19" ,1 cwt. 1qr. 17lb in A.
The three present bells are the same notes a form a A minor chord.
The ringing room is through a large door in the main body of the church and then an arched opening in the wall. In the ringing are three red, white and blue sallied ropes which are used to ring them full circle along with an Ellacombe apparatus for 6. When I arrived I was puzzled as to why there are 6 ellacombe hammers for just 3 bells. My thoughts were: "Are there any additional bells up there no one knows about?" Little care has been given to the ringing room for there is rubbish and dust everywhere! There is a door in the ringing room but the key has gone missing meaning you need to take the alternative route to the belfry.
On the wall are the numbers I, II & III for the ropes. Only issue is the tenor is I and the treble is III. On some carillons the tenor is marked as I or 1 so this could be the reason why?
As you walk out of the belfry, to your right is another opening to a corridor and a coded glass door. I was guided by one of the wardens through the alternative route to the belfry. This finally leads to a set of wooden stairs and also a door at the top. A platform that overlooks the ringing room has a few wooden ladders and a wooden staircase up to a hatch for the belfry. The first bell you come to is the tenor.
It is a very warm feeling in the belfry as the frame and all the bell fittings are red along with the red brick walls.
The ellacombe mystery was solved! Each bell has 2 ellacombe hammers for some reason which seems a bit excessive to me. In the belfry is a concrete wall which goes around with a hole in the middle. The bells are hung in a cast iron Z.1 frame in a 3.2 layout. The hole in the middle probably comes in useful when carrying out maintenance on the bells from underneath.
Hasting stays and sliders are fitted but only the tenor has a stay. 1 & 2 do not have one at all.
The treble was cast in 1914 and the other 2 were 1920.
Each bell hold the Taylor medallion. The treble also has a floral pattern along the inscription band.
There appears to also be a clock tower on the church with a single bell in but I will look at that another day. These could be the former Gillett & Johnston bells.
In 1919, Gillett & Johnston supplied three bells to form a clock chime. Together, they form a minor chord
Storrington, Our Lady of England has a ring of 3 bells hung for full circle ringing in a South facing brick tower.
Storrington is in fact the only Roman Catholic church in Sussex to have a ring of full circle bells. Before the current 3 bells by John Taylor & Co, they originally had a chime of three bells by Gillett & Johnson. Elphicks gives: Treble 13.63" , 2qr. 4lb. in E; 2nd, 16" , 3qr 14lb. in C and tenor 19" ,1 cwt. 1qr. 17lb in A.
The three present bells are the same notes a form a A minor chord.
The ringing room is through a large door in the main body of the church and then an arched opening in the wall. In the ringing are three red, white and blue sallied ropes which are used to ring them full circle along with an Ellacombe apparatus for 6. When I arrived I was puzzled as to why there are 6 ellacombe hammers for just 3 bells. My thoughts were: "Are there any additional bells up there no one knows about?" Little care has been given to the ringing room for there is rubbish and dust everywhere! There is a door in the ringing room but the key has gone missing meaning you need to take the alternative route to the belfry.
On the wall are the numbers I, II & III for the ropes. Only issue is the tenor is I and the treble is III. On some carillons the tenor is marked as I or 1 so this could be the reason why?
As you walk out of the belfry, to your right is another opening to a corridor and a coded glass door. I was guided by one of the wardens through the alternative route to the belfry. This finally leads to a set of wooden stairs and also a door at the top. A platform that overlooks the ringing room has a few wooden ladders and a wooden staircase up to a hatch for the belfry. The first bell you come to is the tenor.
It is a very warm feeling in the belfry as the frame and all the bell fittings are red along with the red brick walls.
The ellacombe mystery was solved! Each bell has 2 ellacombe hammers for some reason which seems a bit excessive to me. In the belfry is a concrete wall which goes around with a hole in the middle. The bells are hung in a cast iron Z.1 frame in a 3.2 layout. The hole in the middle probably comes in useful when carrying out maintenance on the bells from underneath.
Hasting stays and sliders are fitted but only the tenor has a stay. 1 & 2 do not have one at all.
The treble was cast in 1914 and the other 2 were 1920.
Each bell hold the Taylor medallion. The treble also has a floral pattern along the inscription band.
There appears to also be a clock tower on the church with a single bell in but I will look at that another day. These could be the former Gillett & Johnston bells.
Recordings of the bells:
How the bells are tuned in relation to their nominal, using Simpson's theory.
Temperament: Equal
Key [measured in cents]:
-99 ~ -90 -89 ~ -80 -79 ~ -70 -69 ~ -60 -59 ~ -50 -49 ~ -40 -39 ~ -30 -29 ~ -20 -19 ~ -10 -9 ~ -0
0 ~ 9 10 ~ 19 20 ~ 29 30 ~ 39 40 ~ 49 50 ~ 59 60 ~ 69 70 ~ 79 80 ~ 89 90 ~ 99+
-99 ~ -90 -89 ~ -80 -79 ~ -70 -69 ~ -60 -59 ~ -50 -49 ~ -40 -39 ~ -30 -29 ~ -20 -19 ~ -10 -9 ~ -0
0 ~ 9 10 ~ 19 20 ~ 29 30 ~ 39 40 ~ 49 50 ~ 59 60 ~ 69 70 ~ 79 80 ~ 89 90 ~ 99+
Bell 1
Hum - 327Hz - E-13
Prime - 652Hz - E-18
Tierce - 777.5Hz - G-13 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 988.5Hz - B+1
Nominal - 1304Hz - E-18
Prime - 652Hz - E-18
Tierce - 777.5Hz - G-13 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 988.5Hz - B+1
Nominal - 1304Hz - E-18
| cut_storringtonrc1.mp3 |
Bell 2
Hum - 259Hz - C-16
Prime - 516Hz - C-23
Tierce - 622.5Hz - Eb+1 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 774.5Hz - G-20
Nominal - 1035.5Hz - C-17
Prime - 516Hz - C-23
Tierce - 622.5Hz - Eb+1 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 774.5Hz - G-20
Nominal - 1035.5Hz - C-17
| cut_storrington_rc_2.mp3 |
Bell 3
Hum - 218Hz - A-15
Prime - 435.5Hz - A-17
Tierce - 525.5Hz - C+7 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 643.5Hz - E-47
Nominal - 872Hz - A-15
Prime - 435.5Hz - A-17
Tierce - 525.5Hz - C+7 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 643.5Hz - E-47
Nominal - 872Hz - A-15
| cut_src3.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is around the inscription band*
*Text in blue is on the opposite side of the bell*
*Text in blue is on the opposite side of the bell*
1 |
⚛⚛⚛+ S.S. PP AUGUSTINE ET NORBERTE O.P.N ⚛⚛⚛ ⚪ 1914 L.E |
2 |
+ S.S. FRANCISCE XAV . ET. PETRE ALC O.P.N ⚪ HW 1920 |
3 |
+ AVE MARIA VIRGO IMMACULATA, DEI MATER ALMA ⚪ VENITE EXULTEMVS DOMINO J.M.J A.M.S 1920 1914 |
Latin Translations:
1: AUGUSTINE ET NORBERTE - Augustine and Norberte
2: FRANCISCE ET PETRE ALC - Francis and Peter
3: + AVE MARIA VIRGO IMMACULATA, DEI MATER ALMA.
VENITE EXULTEMUS DOMINO -
Hail the immaculate virgin Mary, foster godmother. Come let us rejoice.
⚛ = Fig. LVIII,b (Bell 1)
⚪ = Fig. LVIII,c (Bells 1,2,3)
1: AUGUSTINE ET NORBERTE - Augustine and Norberte
2: FRANCISCE ET PETRE ALC - Francis and Peter
3: + AVE MARIA VIRGO IMMACULATA, DEI MATER ALMA.
VENITE EXULTEMUS DOMINO -
Hail the immaculate virgin Mary, foster godmother. Come let us rejoice.
⚛ = Fig. LVIII,b (Bell 1)
⚪ = Fig. LVIII,c (Bells 1,2,3)
Photographs:
*Click on the images to enlarge them*
