Lowfield Heath, St Michael & All AngelsLowfield Heath has a pair of bells, hung in a west facing tower: one for stationary chiming, and the other for full circle ringing.
The church dates back to 1867, the year the foundation stone was laid, and was originally under the parish of Charlwood. In recent years, the church was bought by the Seventh Day Adventists, who converted the base of the tower into a kitchen. It was designed by William Burges. |
|
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
2 cwt |
22.00" |
1481Hz |
F# |
1868 |
Full Circle |
||
Clock |
7-2-4 cwt |
33.50" |
1057.5 Hz |
C |
1893 |
Hung Dead |
About the bells
2 Bells, 7-2-4 in C (Tuning 1,5 of 8)
John Warner & Sons supplied a single bell, weighing around 2cwt around the time the church was completed in 1868.
It was cast with a short inscription around the inscription band with the royal coat of arms on the waist. These were formed using letter stamps, pressed into the outer mould. It is hung for full circle ringing on wooden fittings. All iron work has rusted, although the gudgeons and brasses are in fairly good condition. The wheel's shrouding has deteriorated and crumbled away, just like the boards for the floor, leaving a 13ft drop below the bell!
It hangs in a timber 6.A frame, presumably made of pine, and rung using a rope from the ground floor.
Surprisingly, this bell sounds rather good, having an octave hum, but quite a flat prime.
The Gillett bell
In August 1893, Gillett & Johnston cast a single bell numbered 1418 to Lowfield Heath, although the clock is dated 2 years later. This could suggest that the bell is no more than a stock bell, also judged by its very simple and unpunctuated inscription for its size. Both the clock and bell were supplied to Lowfield Heath on August 31st, 1895.
It was cast with the more modern Doncaster head, and hung for stationary chiming, strapped to a wooden beam stretching north to south across the tower. The clock hammer is fairly interesting - see photos section. In addition, there is a levered clapper inside the bell a rope's attached to. This allows the bell to be chimed independently without damaging the clock.
It is old styled tuned with a sharp hum and flat quint, and considered to be inferior in tone to that of the Warner bell.
It was cast in a loam mould, with letter stamps pressed into the outer mould. It has the conventional moulding wire pattern (2.2.2.3.2)
Access to the bells is by a 19 rung ladder from the floor of the clock room.
Visited: 22/01/2022
John Warner & Sons supplied a single bell, weighing around 2cwt around the time the church was completed in 1868.
It was cast with a short inscription around the inscription band with the royal coat of arms on the waist. These were formed using letter stamps, pressed into the outer mould. It is hung for full circle ringing on wooden fittings. All iron work has rusted, although the gudgeons and brasses are in fairly good condition. The wheel's shrouding has deteriorated and crumbled away, just like the boards for the floor, leaving a 13ft drop below the bell!
It hangs in a timber 6.A frame, presumably made of pine, and rung using a rope from the ground floor.
Surprisingly, this bell sounds rather good, having an octave hum, but quite a flat prime.
The Gillett bell
In August 1893, Gillett & Johnston cast a single bell numbered 1418 to Lowfield Heath, although the clock is dated 2 years later. This could suggest that the bell is no more than a stock bell, also judged by its very simple and unpunctuated inscription for its size. Both the clock and bell were supplied to Lowfield Heath on August 31st, 1895.
It was cast with the more modern Doncaster head, and hung for stationary chiming, strapped to a wooden beam stretching north to south across the tower. The clock hammer is fairly interesting - see photos section. In addition, there is a levered clapper inside the bell a rope's attached to. This allows the bell to be chimed independently without damaging the clock.
It is old styled tuned with a sharp hum and flat quint, and considered to be inferior in tone to that of the Warner bell.
It was cast in a loam mould, with letter stamps pressed into the outer mould. It has the conventional moulding wire pattern (2.2.2.3.2)
Access to the bells is by a 19 rung ladder from the floor of the clock room.
Visited: 22/01/2022
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 - 372Hz - F#+9
Prime - 676.5Hz - E+45
Tierce - 864.5Hz - A-30 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1123Hz - Db+22
Nominal - 1480Hz - F#+0
Prime - 676.5Hz - E+45
Tierce - 864.5Hz - A-30 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1123Hz - Db+22
Nominal - 1480Hz - F#+0
| cut_lowfield_heath_1_.mp3 |
Clock
Hum - 280.5Hz - Db+21
Prime - 468Hz - Bb+7
Tierce - 625Hz - Eb+8 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 754.5Hz - F#+34
Nominal - 1056.5Hz - C+16
Prime - 468Hz - Bb+7
Tierce - 625Hz - Eb+8 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 754.5Hz - F#+34
Nominal - 1056.5Hz - C+16
| lowfieldheath2.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is around the inscription band*
1 |
J WARNER & SONS 1868 ♚ |
Clock |
GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON 1893 |
♚ =Fig. JWA,2
Photographs:
*Click on the images to enlarge them*
