The Restoration Project
Rather than undertake another make do and mend improvement of the installation, the band is embarking on a major restoration project, the primary objectives of which are to:
- Radically improve the ease with which current and future Shiplake ringers can be trained and continue to ring, whatever their age and physical ability
- Enhance the attractiveness of the Shiplake Ringing Centre as a top class training facility
- Provide an installation that will last for many decades without further major expenditure
- Transform the tone and sound of the bells to make them a joy to hear
Our solution is to replace the existing ring with a brand new one of comparable weight, tuned to the very best modern standards and hung in a new metal frame, with all new bell fittings, 1.2m lower in the tower.
We plan to maximise the amount of work we do ourselves, but even allowing for this, the favoured estimate for the project will entail an expenditure of £97,000 after the allowance for the scrap value of the old bells and excluding VAT. (As the church is a listed building, any VAT payable may be reclaimed by virtue of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme).
Our installation will look similar to that at St Helen, Abingdon, Oxon, (although with 8 rather than 10 bells), which can be viewed via this link: Whites of Appleton Bell Projects
New ring of bells in a metal frame (picture copyright of Whites of Appleton)
| Updated as at 11th March 2010 |
Progress to Date
The work is nearly done!
In 2010 the old bells in this tower were replaced by a completely new ring of eight cast by the Whitechapel Bellfoundry. They were hung in a new metal frame with all new bell fittings by Whites of Appleton, assisted by local volunteers. The new bells will be dedicated by the Bishop of Dorchester on Sunday 2nd May 2010.
| Bell | Name | Inscription | Weight
cwt-qtr-lbs |
| Treble | Simon Peter | The gift of Mavis and Cyril Crouch
"Although I am both light and small,
I will be heard above you all"
Laus Deo | 3-0-3 |
| 2 | Hilda | The gift of Joyce and Keith Vernon
In memory of loved ones | 3-0-19 |
| 3 | Ignatius | In loving memory of May and Col Dunesky | 3-1-11 |
| 4 | Paul | In memory of Simon Grant Gallyer
1954 - 2007
"Of love I tell" | 4-0-16 |
| 5 | Luke | The gift of the Pugsley family | 4-3-7 |
| 6 | Agatha | In memory of Lilian Elizabeth Gallyer
1921 - 1984
"Of love I tell" | 5-1-4 |
| 7 | Katherine | The gift of the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust | 6-3-19 |
| Tenor | Edmund | In loving memory of Kathleen Partridge 1917 - 1999
and
Joan Dove 1919 - 2002 | 9-0-15 in G# |
The new bells were cast in July and August 2009 and installed in January 2010. All are inscribed "Whitechapel 2009" with their foundry mark. All the bells except the treble are also inscribed: "Whites of Appleton Church Bellhangers".
The new Shiplake Bells in the snow
Of the former ring of 8 bells, the treble and 2nd were used to provide two bells for the augmentation from 3 to 5 at Newnham in Hampshire.
The 3rd was used to replace the treble bell at Winterborne Stickland in Dorset and the 4th was used in the augmentation from 3 to 4 at Thoroton, Nottinghamshire.
The 5th bell was used to augment the chime of 3 to 4 at Nunton in Wiltshire.
Former bells 6, 7 & 8 were sold to the Whitechapel Bellfoundry to provide metal for casting new bells.
Subsequently the 7th bell was bought by Nicholson Engineering for potential future re-use.
Bob Partridge
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| Updated as at 3rd December 2009 |
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 shows the bells in their frame.
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
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Updated as at 28th September 2009 |
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.
|
| Here we see the Treble which, along with the Second, are due to be reused in the augmentation at Newnham in Hampshire from 3 to 6. |
 |
Is going to
St Nicholas, Newnham, Hampshire. |
 |
| The 5th due to go to Nunton in Wiltshire to augment a chime of 4 to 5. |
 |
Is going to
St Andrew, Nunton, Wiltshire. |
 |
Here are a few pictures of the bells being cast
The 4th Bell being cast | 
The 6th Bell being cast |
The 7th Bell being cast |
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© Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers 2009 - Reading Banch
