Church Bells of Warwickshire

ALLESLEY* All Saints 8; 12-0-0 in G#

Grid Reference	140/302806
Postcode	CV5 9ES
Recordings Before 2011 restoration After 2011 restoration After 2016 restoration
Affiliation	Coventry DG
Peals	Felstead Database
Sunday	0930-1000 & 1730-1800
Practice	Tuesday 1930-2100
Other Information	Church Website

History

On the North West edge of Coventry this is a pleasant village that is just separate from the city itself. Of Norman origin, the church has been much altered, a major restoration taking place in 1862-3, designed by James Murray. Today, little, bar the tower, is recognisable as being older than this restoration.

There is plenty of parking in the church car park, situated behind the church, up the small road, Rectory Road, opposite "The Rainbow".

Prior to 1901 there were 5 bells.  This appeared in Bell News on June 2nd 1900:

There are now 8 bells - the 8¼cwt anticlockwise 5 being completely rehung clockwise and augmented to 6 by adding a tenor and recasting the (15th Century!) 3rd in 1901. The first ringing noted on them in Bell News is in the edition of Feburary 15th 1902:

The first peal on the bells was rung in 1909:

(Note the incorrect dedication of the church!)

Two trebles were added to complete the octave in 1946/7, at which time the existing 6 bells were rehung on ball bearings using the original headstocks. The "new" trebles occupy the pits for the existing trebles; these being hung in two parallel "lowside" pits installed above the original frame. The bells were cast in late 1946 and hung in 1947. The re-dedication was reported in The Ringing World of April l11th 1947:

"ALLESLEY BELLS NOW A RING OF EIGHT.
Ringers from far and near gathered at Allesley, Warwickshire, on March 22nd. for the dedication of the two new trebles to complete a ring of eight at the Parish Church of All Saints.
The Bishop of Coventry performed the dedication, and the service was conducted by the Rector (the Rev. Frank W. Moyle). An interesting feature of the service was the local ringers forming part of the procession, which led to the west end of the church, where the two bell ropes were banded to the local Ringing Master by the Bishop with the words: 
' Receive the bells that we have here set apart, in memory of His servants in the greater life beyond our present sight, as a sacred trust committed unto you, and we bid you take heed that they be ever and only used in God’s sendee and to His glory.'
The new treble was given by Miss E. M. Lancaster and her sister, Mi's. Wilcox, in memory of their mother, who gave the tenor in 1901, and the new second was given by the Rector and Mrs. Moyle and her brother, Mr. Geoffrey Facer, in memory of their respective mothers. They are an excellent splice with the old six, which have been rehung on ball bearings by Messrs. John Taylor and Co., and as a light ring of eight with a tenor 12 cwt. in G is a valuable addition to the rings of eight in the diocese.
After tea in the Parish Room, the Rector welcomed the visitors, who afterwards returned to the church and rang in various, methods until about 7.30 p.m.
Ringers were present from Bedworth - Birmingham, Bulkington, Barrow-on-Soar, Byfield, Chilvers Coton, Keresley, London, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Meriden, Nuneaton. Rugby, Stoke (Coventry), Worcester ana Wednesbury."

The first peal on the ring of 8 was rung shortly afterwards:

During 2011 replacement bells for the tonally weak third and fourth were installed.

• The existing third was sold to the Keltek Trust and bellhanger Matthew Higby installed it as a treble of five in Little Bedwyn at Easter of 2014.  It is interesting to note that the bell is heavier and slightly larger in diameter there after tuning that it supposedly was when hung at Allesley! The "as received weight" was 3-3-8 and not the 3-0-15 weight, after canon removal and tuning, that is in Taylors tuning books for 1901. 
• The fourth has been hung dead as a service bell in the upper level of the frame.

During November of 2016 the previous 6th bell was replaced by a bell that was rescued from Holy Trinity, Bury and slightly retuned by Taylors.  The previous bell has became a clock bell.

Entrance is by an outside door on the south side of the tower. Remember to duck if you are tall!

The frequency of the tenor has been measured and it equates to G#-47c and therefore the ring is in G# and not G as has always previously been stated.

Inscriptions

The old bell that was recast in 1901 was inscribed:   + SANCTA KATERINA ORA PRO NOBIS

By 1948 the inscriptions were:

The "new" bells are inscribed:

This church was featured in The Ringing World in 1971 as part of the Central Council's visit to the area:

Details of the Bells

1 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough  1946  3-0-23 23.50"  1619.5HZ (G#-45c)
2 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough  1946  3-2-00 24.50"  1529.5Hz (Fx-44c)
3 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough  2011  3-1-21 25.50"  1358.0Hz (E#-49c)
4 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough  2011  3-3-21 26.875" 1214.0Hz (D#-43c)
5 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough  1901  5-0-27 30.00"  1077.5Hz (C#-49c)
6 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough  1907  6-2-13 32.50"  1019.7Hz (B#-45c)
7 Newcombe, Leicester             1610  8-0-21 35.75"   906.5Hz (A#-49c)
8 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough  1901 12-0-00 40.75"   808.5Hz (G#-47c)

Service Bell - Previous 4th
4 Thomas Newcombe, Leicester      1580  3-3-08 26.50"  1202.5Hz (D#-59c)

Previous 3rd - At Allesley
3 Joseph Smith, Edgbaston         1708  3-0-15 25.50"  1357.0Hz (E#-50c)

Previous 3rd - At Little Bedwyn
1 Joseph Smith, Edgbaston         1708  3-1-22 25.875" 1325.0Hz (E#-9c)

Previous 6th/Clock Bell
6 Joseph Smith, Edgbaston         1708  5-3-27 32.00"  1016.5Hz (B#-51c)

Photo Gallery
The Old Third & Fourth in the rider frame	The Tenor	The Sound Control
The Nave - Looking South	The Nave - Looking East	The Church prior to the 1862/3 restoration
Restoration 2011
The Old Third - (The pattern is replicated on the new bell)	Lowering the Old Third Through The Ringing Room	Removing the Third's Wheel via the Louvres in the Spire
Taking the Old Third up to the Church Car Park	Filling the Crucible in Preparation for the Casting of a New Bell	Casting One of the New Bells
The New Third Being Drilled	The New Third's Inscription	The New Third and Fourth in their Now Painted Frame.
The Rehung Bells at Little Bedwyn. The Old Allesley Third is on the Right.	The Old Third in Position as the Treble at Little Bedwyn
		Recordings comparing: The Old Sixth The New Sixth
HT, Bury showing the bell installation	A close-up of the bell at HT, Bury
As delivered to Taylors	Ready for dispatch from Taylors	The 6th installed in the tower
The report of the Rededication Service in The Ringing World of April 11th 1947