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Towers and Bells of Britain

Towers and Bells of Britain

Towers and Bells of Britain

by Ernest Morris

File 01 – Frontispiece, Cover Picture, Foreword, Introduction – Pages (i) to (xiii)

This document is provided for you by The Whiting Society of Ringers visit www.whitingsociety.org.uk for the full range of publications and articles about bells and TOWERS AND BELLS OF BRITAIN

By the same Author

HISTORY AND ART OF CHANGE RINGING BELLS OF ALL NATIONS LEGENDS o' THE BELLS BELLS IN ENGLISH LIFE CHRONOLOGY OF BRITISH BELLFOUNDERS CHIMES AND CHIME TUNES BELLS (cHAMBERs's NEW ENCYCLOPAEDIA) C R 0 Y LAND A B BE Y , L I N C S . "The first in England to possess a peal of bells." (Page 222) TOWERS AND BELL§ OF BRXTAKN

by ERNEST MORRIS F.R.Hist.S., F.R.G.S., M.R.S.L.

Ringing Master, St. Margaret's, Leicester Member of The Ancient Society of College ·Youths, London, and many Provincial Guilds

Illustrated

ROBERT HALE LIMITED 63 Old Brompton Road, London S.W.7 First published 1955

PlliNTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY NORTHUMBERLAND PREIOS LIMITiiD ~ATEIHEAD ON TYNE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Although many of the towers mentioned herein have been personally visited, much information has been supplied by bellringers and friends too numerous to mention by name. I am specially indebted to Mr. W. Cecil Dunford, R.D.S., for his fine drawings for the "jacket " and for several photo­ graphs: to Mr. G. Arnold Cope, F.R.I.B.A., for the Foreword and help on various details of architecture: to Mr. H. J. Smith of Mears Ashby: Mr. S. W. A. Newton of Leicester: the late Mr. Sheldon of Hull: the late Mr. Francis E. Dawe of London, and Mr. J. Frederick Milner of for photo­ graphs.

v CONTENTS

Page FoREWORD Xl

INTRODUCTION Xlll

PART ONE

CENTRAL TowERS I

PART TWO

WEST ToWERs 96

TwiN TowERS 104 TRIPLE TowERs n6

SPIRES 129

TRUNCATED SPIRES 134

RoUND ToWERs 138

OcTAGONAL TowERs 144

TowERS AND SPIRES 150

WooDEN TowERS 154

TowERS AS LANDMARKS oR BEACONS 158

LEANING ToWERS 16o

DETACHED TOWERS I~

RENAISSANCE 205

BELL TuRRETS oR CoTEs 212

CuRious TowERS AND BELFRIES 215

INDEX 263 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Frontispiece Croyland

Plate I Breamore, Hants 2(a) Rochester between pages (b) 8 and 9 3 Abbey 4 Abbey

5 Milton Abbey 6 7(a) Tickhill, Yorkshire between pages (b) Holme-in-Spalding, Yorkshire 40 and 41 8(a) Happisburg, Norfolk (b) W orstead, Norfolk

9 Hemingborough, Yorkshire IO Grantham, Lincolnshire between pages II Rugby, Warwickshire 72 and 73 I2(a) Gaddesby, Leicestershire (b) Market Harborough, Leicestershire

13 14 between pages 15 104 and 105 16 lX X TOWERS AND BELLS OF BRITAIN 17 I 18 between pages 19 Southwell Minster 120 and 121 20 Southwell Minster, Ringers' Gallery

21(a) Haddiscoe, Norfolk (b) South Ockendon, Essex between pages

22 Stanwick, Northamptonshire· 152 and 153 23 Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire 24 Chesterfield, Derbyshire

25(a) Marks Tey, Essex (b) Greenstead-juxta-Ongar 26 Marston Mortaine, Bedfordshire between pages 27(a) , Northamptonshire 184 and 185 (b) Earls Barton, Northamptonshire 28 Brookland, Kent

29 Boston, Lincolnshire 30 St. Mary-le-Bow, London between pages 31 St. Clement Danes, London 216 and 217 32(a) Hanslope, Buckinghamshire (b) Yaxley, Huntingdonshire

Etchings I. page 128 2. Cartmel, Lanes. 137 3· Bakewell, Derbyshire 149 4· Christ Church, London 204 5· St. Dunstan East, London 211 6. Merton College, Oxford, Ringers' Gallery 214 7· 262 FOREWORD

In an introductory note, it is not easy to condense all that one would wish to say of the mighty work which follows, but I am honoured and happy to contribute a foreword to Mr. Morris's new book. In fifty years of study and practice of architecture I have had the good fortune to work on a considerable number of church buildings and, in Mr. Morris's earlier standard work, I have found much valuable information about the best disposition and mounting of bells, but, being without any practical knowledge of the art of change ringing, I must confess I have never fully appreciated this latter subject as an actual bellringer does, much as I like its music. In his new book, Mr. Morris has unearthed, assembled, tabulated and illustrated a vast amount of information, not for the serious student alone, but for the general reader with an interest in buildings, and the number of his examples leaves us almost breathless in our mental travel round the world under his guidance. The excellent index, how­ ever, makes it very easy to trace a reference to any particular place­ named feature. Some time or other we all come across individuals who-as the saying is-" cannot see wood for trees·", but the kind of mental effort usually described as genius-namely, an infinite capacity for taking pains-does not, in my view, go far enough, because I believe it needs, to complete it, that instinctive vision which enables the student to select his path and reach his goal by the " shortest route " without wandering up side-tracks. The first needs long and assiduous study, and the second, insight to make full use of knowledge acquired. Mr. Morris seems to possess a capacity for both of these. It is easy to see that the author's success is born of his great love of the whole subject of campanology, which, under his father's early influence and encouragement, has made it one of the joys of his life. And in this I fed he has realized more than mere pleasure from his way of life-namely, happiness in it-a much greater achievement. GEORGE ARNOLD CoPE, M.C., F.R.I.B.A.

xi INTRODUCTION

MucH of the information on the Towers and Bells of England herein given first appeared in the form of a series of articles in The Ringing World during 1933-4. I make no attempt to give a detailed account of the architecture of Towers and Spires, nor yet a full des­ cription of the bells they contain, but rather a combination of both, Primarily written for the benefit and inspiration of the innumerable bdlringers of this country, it is, nevertheless, intended to convey, to everyone interested in the history and architecture of our churches, some idea of the glories and wonderful features of the towers them­ selves, and the bells which give them "life". Coupled with-and inseparable from-the towers, are the belfries or ringing chambers where the bellringers have, through the ages, carried on their Art. Many of these belfries and bell chambers are quaint, interesting, and often the most curious features of the church to which they belong. With the growth of the English Art of "change ringing" or "ring­ ing the changes", and the formation of Guilds and Associations for the welfare of the ringers and the care of belfries, many of the old-time unpleasant ringing rooms have been restored and are now well kept. It is now recognized that the belfry is a part of the House of God, and not the place for storage of lumber and rubbish, as many formerly were. A study of the Towers and Spires of England makes one realize how much we owe to the master craftsmen of bygone ages. The building of the great and abbeys would have been a remark­ able achievement whatever their purpose. Buildings which are in every way comparable with such modern cathedrals as Liverpool were ~uilt in a far shorter time than they would take to-day, despite the ltnmel}se material and mechanical resources of our time. The men of those times were willing to make sacrifices for the glory of God. Of the church, the authors of The Churches of England (Cox & ~ord, p. 1) say: "Individually they represent such a range of types, stzes, materials, plans and groupings, that to produce a systematic xiii XIV TOWERS AND BELLS OF BRITAIN account of them in a short space is almost impossible. From the large town fabric to the small hamlet church, it is safe to assert that no two could be found closely alike-each has its own architectural 'personali­ ties'." This is equally true of the Towers and Spires, for as we travel through the countryside, we can look with pride and reverence on towers and spires of innumerable cathedrals and churches, each with its own characteristics either in architectural or in picturesque setting. M. R. Newbolt in Prayer Book and the Church (S.P.C.K.) says: "In every village the church is as vital a feature in the landscape as the eye in a human face. In our industrial towns, the spires of the churches dominate the factory chimneys, and there is hardly a house in England which is out of the hearing of the church bell." In plan, towers may be square, oblong, round or oval, hexagonal or octagonal. They occupy positions at the crossings of the , at the west end : the end of an aisle : against the side of the : forming a transept: or maybe entirely detached from the church. Usually they are built of stone, but there are towers of brick, flint, and timber. They are of all sizes from the village tower to the mighty central tower of the new Cathedral of Liverpool which is over 300 feet high and very broad in proportion. In all these towers, spires and turrets, the bells have sent forth their messages-in this country from at least the year 68o. Whether it be the little tinkler high up in the bell­ cot in some out-of-the-way village, or the grand peal in the lofty tower of some city cathedral, the bells have broadcast to all and sundry the same messages of invitation, hope, joy and worship. They have been used for all occasions of rejoicings and warnings-in times of calamity and distress-in times of thanksgiving or public festivity. It has been truly said that the bells are, to the parish, what the organ is to the con­ gregation. They herald the birth of the parishioners, they chime them to church for prayer and praise : they send forth joyous peals when they are wed : and give forth solemn muffled tones at their departure. Their voices are summed up in the couplet:

"To call ye folk to church in time-we chime. When mirth and joy are on the wing-we ring. At the departure of the soul-we toll."

Since this book was written, restorations have been carried out to many towers and bells. This may, in some cases, cause a slight variation to the text. Many well-known towers have-necessarily-been omitted, for which the author offers regrets. TOWERS AND BELLS OF BRITAIN This document is provided for you by The Whiting Society of Ringers visit www.whitingsociety.org.uk for the full range of publications and articles about bells and change ringing

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