Turners Hill, St Leonard
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
4-2-18 cwt |
27.63" |
1445.5 Hz |
F |
1926 |
Full Circle |
||
2 |
4-0-16 cwt |
28.75" |
1344 Hz |
E |
1926 |
Full Circle |
||
3 |
5-3-1 cwt |
30.63" |
1193 Hz |
D |
1924 |
Full Circle |
||
4 |
6-2-16 cwt |
32.63" |
1077.5 Hz |
C |
1924 |
Full Circle |
||
5 |
7-1-1 cwt |
34.88" |
955.5 Hz |
B♭ |
1924 |
Full Circle |
||
6 |
9-2-3 cwt |
35.63" |
895 Hz |
A |
1924 |
Full Circle |
||
7 |
10-1-8 cwt |
39.88" |
808.4 Hz |
G |
1924 |
Full Circle |
||
8 |
13-3-27 cwt |
44.13" |
714 Hz |
F |
1924 |
Full Circle |
About the Bells
8 Bells, 13-3-27 In F
Turners Hill has 8 bells hung for full circle in a west facing tower. The tower was build in 1923 by Sir Aston Webb who was an English architect from the 19th century who passed away in 1930. He also designed the facade for Buckingham Palace. A sandstone plaque in the wall outside reads: THE TOWER IS A MEMORIAL TO / THE MEN OF TURNERS HILL / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN / 1914 THE GREAT WAR 1918. Inside the tower is a large war memorial on the South wall with all the names of those men. Reports state that the previous churchwarden took great care and pride in displaying this.
Before the tower was built, it appears that there was a small timber turret at the west end that contained a small bell.
The photo below show it.
Turners Hill has 8 bells hung for full circle in a west facing tower. The tower was build in 1923 by Sir Aston Webb who was an English architect from the 19th century who passed away in 1930. He also designed the facade for Buckingham Palace. A sandstone plaque in the wall outside reads: THE TOWER IS A MEMORIAL TO / THE MEN OF TURNERS HILL / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN / 1914 THE GREAT WAR 1918. Inside the tower is a large war memorial on the South wall with all the names of those men. Reports state that the previous churchwarden took great care and pride in displaying this.
Before the tower was built, it appears that there was a small timber turret at the west end that contained a small bell.
The photo below show it.
In 1924, Mears & Stainbank supplied a ring of 6, each cast as a memorial.
The treble of the six is in memory of Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, Thomas was a member of the Indian civil service. He persuaded the British government to build a school in India to provide education to the children. The government accepted his offer and Ravenshaw College was built. He died in 1914 at the age of 86 in a farm house at Turners Hill. He was also buried at St Leonard along with his wife.
The 6 bells were hung in an black cast iron Z.1 frame arranged in the 8.3 layout with 2 empty pits.
Before the bells were augmented to 8 in 1926, a peal of minor containing 7 methods was rung on Saturday 7th, November 1925.
In 1926, the bells were augmented to a ring of 8 by Mears & Stainbank to fill in the other empty pits. The two extra trebles were cast on the 20th February 1926, and just a week after their cast, a peal of Superlative Surprise Major was rung on them.
The bells are inscribed the same around the inscription band except the tenor. They all have Fig. ARH,1 stamped on too.
Access to the ringing room is through a door in the main body of the church. The bells are rung with red, yellow and green sallied ropes which are hung on a spider. The ropes are guided due to a very long draft.
In the ringing room, a door on the North West side of the tower leads to a clockwise spiral staircase to the belfry. There is no clock room or intermediate chamber, therefore the bells sit right above the ceiling. When you enter the belfry, there is ladder to your left which allows you to get onto the frame. The stays on bell 2,4, and 5 are of interesting design, where as the rest are conventional.
The bells are hung on ball bearings but due to absence of ringing over the years, they handle a little heavy.
The clappers on each of the bells are slightly different. The clappers on 1,7 and 8 are recent Whitechapel Bell foundry ones made of iron and painted grey whereas the rest of them are a red colour and slightly rusted. The tenor clapper is made of wrought iron and has the shortest flight. A photograph below shows the tenors clapper. It also has two threaded holes on either side which would have probably accepted a leather bung at some time. The clapper on the 5th was found very loose and could rotate 360 degrees.
Going up from the frame is a platform with a radio box. This leads you to another ladder which takes you to a wooden platform above the bells. From here, a hinged louvre can be pushed open to gain access onto the roof. The tower of East Grinstead, St Swithun can be seen in the distance and Gatwick Airport in the other direction.
In March 2023, John Taylor and Co repainted the clappers red, providing new clapper bolts with split pins. All of the pulley boxes and rollers were replaced, the old ones were left in the belfry. The pulley box on the 7th was refitted for it detached from its wooden base during a practice. Around the same time, the stay on the 3rd was replaced.
Visited:
.24/04/2022
The treble of the six is in memory of Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, Thomas was a member of the Indian civil service. He persuaded the British government to build a school in India to provide education to the children. The government accepted his offer and Ravenshaw College was built. He died in 1914 at the age of 86 in a farm house at Turners Hill. He was also buried at St Leonard along with his wife.
The 6 bells were hung in an black cast iron Z.1 frame arranged in the 8.3 layout with 2 empty pits.
Before the bells were augmented to 8 in 1926, a peal of minor containing 7 methods was rung on Saturday 7th, November 1925.
In 1926, the bells were augmented to a ring of 8 by Mears & Stainbank to fill in the other empty pits. The two extra trebles were cast on the 20th February 1926, and just a week after their cast, a peal of Superlative Surprise Major was rung on them.
The bells are inscribed the same around the inscription band except the tenor. They all have Fig. ARH,1 stamped on too.
Access to the ringing room is through a door in the main body of the church. The bells are rung with red, yellow and green sallied ropes which are hung on a spider. The ropes are guided due to a very long draft.
In the ringing room, a door on the North West side of the tower leads to a clockwise spiral staircase to the belfry. There is no clock room or intermediate chamber, therefore the bells sit right above the ceiling. When you enter the belfry, there is ladder to your left which allows you to get onto the frame. The stays on bell 2,4, and 5 are of interesting design, where as the rest are conventional.
The bells are hung on ball bearings but due to absence of ringing over the years, they handle a little heavy.
The clappers on each of the bells are slightly different. The clappers on 1,7 and 8 are recent Whitechapel Bell foundry ones made of iron and painted grey whereas the rest of them are a red colour and slightly rusted. The tenor clapper is made of wrought iron and has the shortest flight. A photograph below shows the tenors clapper. It also has two threaded holes on either side which would have probably accepted a leather bung at some time. The clapper on the 5th was found very loose and could rotate 360 degrees.
Going up from the frame is a platform with a radio box. This leads you to another ladder which takes you to a wooden platform above the bells. From here, a hinged louvre can be pushed open to gain access onto the roof. The tower of East Grinstead, St Swithun can be seen in the distance and Gatwick Airport in the other direction.
In March 2023, John Taylor and Co repainted the clappers red, providing new clapper bolts with split pins. All of the pulley boxes and rollers were replaced, the old ones were left in the belfry. The pulley box on the 7th was refitted for it detached from its wooden base during a practice. Around the same time, the stay on the 3rd was replaced.
Visited:
.24/04/2022
Recordings of the bells:
How the bells are tuned in relation to their nominal, using Simpson's theory.
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 - 376.5Hz - F#+30
Prime - 637Hz - Eb+41
Tierce - 861Hz - A-37 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1048Hz - C+2
Nominal - 1445Hz - F# -40
Prime - 637Hz - Eb+41
Tierce - 861Hz - A-37 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1048Hz - C+2
Nominal - 1445Hz - F# -40
| turnersone.wav |
Bell 2
Hum - 345.5Hz - F-18
Prime - 626.5Hz - Eb+12
Tierce - 808Hz - Ab-47 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1000.5Hz - B+22
Nominal - 1344Hz - E+33
Prime - 626.5Hz - Eb+12
Tierce - 808Hz - Ab-47 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1000.5Hz - B+22
Nominal - 1344Hz - E+33
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Bell 3
Hum - 316Hz - Eb+27
Prime - 552.5Hz - Db-5
Tierce - 720Hz - F# -46 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 898.5Hz - A+36
Nominal - 1195.5Hz - D+30
Prime - 552.5Hz - Db-5
Tierce - 720Hz - F# -46 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 898.5Hz - A+36
Nominal - 1195.5Hz - D+30
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Bell 4
Hum - 288Hz - D-33
Prime - 523Hz - C+0
Tierce - 656Hz - E-8 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 804.5Hz - G+45
Nominal - 1078Hz - Db-48
Prime - 523Hz - C+0
Tierce - 656Hz - E-8 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 804.5Hz - G+45
Nominal - 1078Hz - Db-48
| turnersfour.wav |
Bell 5
Hum - 258.5Hz - C-20
Prime - 464Hz - Bb-7
Tierce - 583.5Hz - D-10 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 710.5Hz - F+30
Nominal - 956Hz - Bb+43
Prime - 464Hz - Bb-7
Tierce - 583.5Hz - D-10 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 710.5Hz - F+30
Nominal - 956Hz - Bb+43
| turnersfive.wav |
Bell 6
Hum - 238.5Hz - Bb+40
Prime - 437.5Hz - A-9
Tierce - 540Hz - Db-44 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 672.5Hz - E+34
Nominal - 896Hz - A+31
Prime - 437.5Hz - A-9
Tierce - 540Hz - Db-44 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 672.5Hz - E+34
Nominal - 896Hz - A+31
| turnerssix.wav |
Bell 7
Hum - 213Hz - Ab+44
Prime - 399.5Hz - G+33
Tierce - 485.5Hz - B-29 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 594.5Hz - D+21
Nominal - 803.5Hz - G+43
Prime - 399.5Hz - G+33
Tierce - 485.5Hz - B-29 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 594.5Hz - D+21
Nominal - 803.5Hz - G+43
| turnersseven.wav |
Bell 8
Hum - 186.5Hz - F#+14
Prime - 357Hz - F+38
Tierce - 432.5Hz - A-29 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 531Hz - C+25
Nominal - 714.5Hz - F+39
Prime - 357Hz - F+38
Tierce - 432.5Hz - A-29 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 531Hz - C+25
Nominal - 714.5Hz - F+39
| turnerseight.wav |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is inscriptions within the inscription band*
1 |
M & S. LONDON ◉ 20TH FEBRUARY, 1926. |
2 |
M & S. LONDON. ◉ 20TH FEBRUARY 1926 |
3 |
M & S. LONDON. 1924. ◉ IN MEM. T. E. RAVENSHAW. |
4 |
M & S LONDON 1924, ◉ IN MEM: CECIL BLAKER FIRST VICAR OF THIS CHURCH |
5 |
M & S LONDON 1924, ◉ IN MEM. A.K.G.R. SEPT 27 1923 |
6 |
M & S LONDON 1924, ◉ IN MEMORY OF ALBERT &MARY WILLSON |
7 |
M & S LONDON 1924, ◉ IN MEM. D.L.E |
8 |
MEARS & STAINBANK FOUNDERS LONDON 1924, ◉ TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF EDWIN MARTIN, OF THE "GROVE" |
1924 - 1926
Bells 3-8
◉ = Fig. ARH, 1 (Bells 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
*Click on images to enlarge them*
*Click on images to enlarge them*
Photographs:
