Ifield, St MargaretIfield has a chime of two bells, hung in a west facing tower.
The tower was built in 1884 by Somers Clarke & Micklethwaite of Brighton, being the successor to two previous known towers. Around 1847, the west end turret was removed and the roof was reshingled and repaired. The turret was succeeded by a short, slender tower by the present day porch. It was designed by D. Mackintosh, and had a small pyramidic spire with rectangular louvres. The top was crowned with a weather vane. This may have been unsatisfactory, for it was removed in 1859 |
|
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
31.00" |
1032.5 Hz |
C |
1600 |
Swing Chime |
|||
2 |
33.38" |
975.5 Hz |
B |
1618 |
Swing Chime |
About the Bells
2 Bells, in B ( Tuning 1,2 of 4)
The earliest reference we have is 1600, when Richard Eldridge of Wokingham cast a bell, possibly replacing an older one.
Richard kept old traditions alive by adding an initial cross to the inscription. The letters are made from cut out sheet wax parchment, and all except the capital O are in blackletter smalls. His moulding wires are fairly heavy, and the conventional canon was moulded from wax. Out of the two bells, it is the most pleasing to listen too, and also serves as the clock bell.
The next bell to arrive was by his son Bryan Eldridge. It measures 33.38" in diameter, and is a semi-tone lower than his fathers.
To our knowledge, this is his earliest work, which he cast along side his father at the Horsham foundry. Due to its shape, the tonal qualities of this bell are fairly poor, having quite a flat tierce and quint, with a very flat prime! In addition, the hum is also fairly sharp, but this is pretty much always expected in old bells. The bell is the only one cast by Bryan I Eldridge to have blackletters like his father. It was also cast with heavy wires, along with a wax moulded canon.
The earliest reference we have is 1600, when Richard Eldridge of Wokingham cast a bell, possibly replacing an older one.
Richard kept old traditions alive by adding an initial cross to the inscription. The letters are made from cut out sheet wax parchment, and all except the capital O are in blackletter smalls. His moulding wires are fairly heavy, and the conventional canon was moulded from wax. Out of the two bells, it is the most pleasing to listen too, and also serves as the clock bell.
The next bell to arrive was by his son Bryan Eldridge. It measures 33.38" in diameter, and is a semi-tone lower than his fathers.
To our knowledge, this is his earliest work, which he cast along side his father at the Horsham foundry. Due to its shape, the tonal qualities of this bell are fairly poor, having quite a flat tierce and quint, with a very flat prime! In addition, the hum is also fairly sharp, but this is pretty much always expected in old bells. The bell is the only one cast by Bryan I Eldridge to have blackletters like his father. It was also cast with heavy wires, along with a wax moulded canon.
Moving forward, in 1724, we see an interesting entry in the Chichester Diocesan Surveys!
It gives:
"3 bells, one down in the body of the church, the steeple not being able to bear it."
Cleary the tower was too weak to support the stress carried out by 3 bells. The bell may have been sold for there were only 2 bells by 1864.
In 1724, the bells would have been hung in a small turret at the west end of the church. It would have required around a 40 rung ladder to reach it.
It gives:
"3 bells, one down in the body of the church, the steeple not being able to bear it."
Cleary the tower was too weak to support the stress carried out by 3 bells. The bell may have been sold for there were only 2 bells by 1864.
In 1724, the bells would have been hung in a small turret at the west end of the church. It would have required around a 40 rung ladder to reach it.
Photos from the Crawley museum
The ancient turret
|
Tower build in 1847
|
Not much is recorded until 1883, when the present tower was built.
The bells are swung from the ground floor by ropes, with an additional rope connected to the clock hammer to serve as a Sanctus bell.
The bells are swung from the ground floor by ropes, with an additional rope connected to the clock hammer to serve as a Sanctus bell.
|
Access to the belfry is by a spiral staircase, though an 18-rung ladder is required to reach the bells in their frame.
The frame sits at the base of the spire and stretches across the length of the tower. The frame heads rest on the walls of the tower, and have braces that are fixed to the side of the wall. The bells are strapped to large wooden headstocks, and hung on plain bearings. As opposed to wheels, they are swung using iron levers that follow as system of pulleys. |
|
Gillett & Johnston were the contractors to rehang the bells when the tower was built, who also proving a striking clock which is still wound by hand today.
In early 2023, the vicar thought about the possibilities of installing an extra 4 bells to form a ring of 6.
2 bells in good condition on inspection.
Visited:
.29/11/2021 also with Robert M Abbott
.31/10/2021
In early 2023, the vicar thought about the possibilities of installing an extra 4 bells to form a ring of 6.
2 bells in good condition on inspection.
Visited:
.29/11/2021 also with Robert M Abbott
.31/10/2021
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 - 265Hz - C+22
Prime - 499.5Hz - B+20
Tierce - 625Hz - Eb+8 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 768.5Hz - G-34
Nominal - 1032.5Hz - C-22
Prime - 499.5Hz - B+20
Tierce - 625Hz - Eb+8 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 768.5Hz - G-34
Nominal - 1032.5Hz - C-22
| ifield_1__1_.wav |
Bell 2
Hum - 252.5Hz - B+39
Prime - 405Hz - Ab-42
Tierce - 569.5Hz - Db+47 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 685Hz - F-33
Nominal - 975.5Hz - B-21
Prime - 405Hz - Ab-42
Tierce - 569.5Hz - Db+47 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 685Hz - F-33
Nominal - 975.5Hz - B-21
| ifield_2__1_.wav |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is around the inscription band*
1 |
+ 𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖍𝖔𝖕𝖊 𝖎𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖉 1600 𝕽.𝕰 |
2 |
𝕭𝖗𝖞𝖆𝖓 ♥ 𝕰𝖑𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖉𝖌𝖊 ♥ 𝕸𝖆𝖉𝖊 ♥ 𝕸𝖊𝖊 ♥ 1618 ♥ |
♥ = Fig. RIE,1 (Bell 2)
Photographs:
Sources:
© Kye L Leaver 2025. All rights reserved.
- FORD, Wyn. K (1994): Chichester Diocesan Surveys 1686 and 1724
- https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/crawley-st-margaret-ifield/
- Old Photos - From the Crawley Museum
© Kye L Leaver 2025. All rights reserved.
