St Peter & St Paul Shiplake, Oxfordshire

BELL RESTORATION PROJECT

Progress to Date

Major Milestone at Shiplake

After 11 weeks work, the project to replace the old bells at St Peter & St Paul Shiplake with a completely new ring hung in a new frame slightly lower in the tower has achieved a major milestone with completion of all the enabling building works at the old bell chamber level and above.

Since removing the old bells and frame in September, a massive amount of work has been done in the tower by the Shiplake volunteer team to prepare the way for the new installation. Firstly, the old frame supporting beam holes were filled and faced with brick and the old North frame side was securely pinned to the walls, all requirements from English Heritage. New holes were then cut for 3 galvanised steel beams at high level which support the new Sanctus bell and also provide a safe means of lifting in the components of the new frame and the new bells. (The Sanctus weighing ¾ cwt was cast in 1929 by Gillett & Johnson for St Ethelburga, St Leonards on Sea, Sussex. It was purchased from the Keltek Trust who acquired the bell after the chime of 5 bells at St Ethelburga fell into disrepair and all but one was sold). After installing the Sanctus/lifting beams and concreting them in, the Sanctus bell was installed, and tested.

The focus then moved to installation of the weatherproofing/sound control. This had all previously been fabricated in Cyril Crouch's garage over a number of weeks. It is designed to reduce the very high noise levels of the old bells in the immediate Churchyard area and to spread the sound more widely and evenly. It also includes seven large remotely controlled trap doors which can be opened for service ringing, but closed for practices, so hopefully reducing the number of occasions when the simulator has to be used. Finally a platform was built across the South wall to enable much safer two stage access to the tower roof. The photograph shows the Sanctus bell with some of the sound control and Sanctus/lifting beams.

We have also cut 12 large holes in the tower walls for the new frame foundation beams and our local concrete expert has cast 4 padstones for the lower beams. We are now ready to assist Whites with installation of the main foundation beams on 3rd and 4th December. Boshers builders will then concrete these into the walls and we will build a new floor under the beams. Whites will then return in early January to install the rest of the frame and the bells.

A group of donors, supporters and friends visited Whites at Appleton on the 14th November to see the new bells in their frame before the whole assembly was dismantled and the main foundation beams sent for galvanising. This photograph of your left shows the new bells in their frame and the picture on your right shows Graham Clifton of Whites installing the Grillage in the tower.

The new tenor is slightly lighter than the old one and weighs 9cwt 15lbs, and is tuned to G sharp. The bells were cast to Whitechapel's latest Mk III profiles.

Bob Partridge

Progress to Date

The Old Bells have now been removed from the tower and are currently standing on the floor of the Church.

Some of the bells will be going to other churches to augment their existing rings.