AUSTREY St Nicholas 5, 13cwt in F (Anticlockwise)
| Grid Reference | 140/296023 |  |
| Postcode | CV9 3EE | |
| Recording | None Available | |
| Affiliation | St Martin's Guild | |
| Peals | Felstead Database | |
| Sunday | By arrangement | |
| Practice | Wednesday 1930-2100 (1st - check) |
History
The church consists of a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, south porch, and west tower with a spire. The tower dates from the 13th century. The remainder was rebuilt and enlarged c. 1330 and is a good example of the best architecture of this period, graceful and well proportioned and with typical mouldings but few carvings. In 1844 the chancel was refaced externally with new stonework and the windows restored. The south porch is of that date, but there was an earlier porch.
Originally these bells were a complete ring of five cast by Hugh Watts in 1632 and hung in a two-tier frame. They were rearranged anticlockwise on one level in the old frame when rehung by Barwell of Birmingham in 1911. The second was moved towards the end of its pit and the treble placed at the other end, the second and treble been placed in the pit formerly containing the second alone. The frame is "listed". The empty single bell frame at the base of the spire for the previous position of the treble is sit in situ. The present fittings are still those of Barwell and the bells are, perhaps, not the easiest to ring. The Old ringers' rules dated 1780 hang in the ringing room.
The first peal on the bells was not rung until July 6th 1981, and only two have subsequently been rung.
The inscriptions of the bells, as they were in 1910, are given in Tilley and Walters' book, "The Church Bells of Warwickshire":
The church is in the middle of the village, next to the pub. Enter the church by the south door and get to the ringing room up a wooden ladder from the base of the tower. At around the time of the Millennium it was found that the stonework of the church was in need of extensive renovation work and the spire has been rebuilt and much stonework restored or replaced.
The Ringing World on April 14th 1911 reports: "At Austrey, the Vicar, the Rev I. J. Rosser, has collected sufficient funds to have the spire and tower repointed and the old five bells re-hung, but is not able at the present time to have the sixth added. Messrs. Barwell will do the re-hanging and re-fitting of the bells."
The recast treble is inscribed, in addition to its original inscripton:
RECAST A.D. 1911
(Foundry Mark)
Chris Pickford published an excellent article about the church and its bells in The Ringing World of March 19th 2010:
Details of the Bells
1 James Barwell & Co, Birmingham 1911 5cwt 30.875" 1065.5Hz (C+31c)
2 Hugh Watts II, Leicester 1632 6cwt 32.125" 931.0Hz (Bb-2c)
3 Thomas Rudhall, Gloucester 1770 8cwt 34.75" 898.5Hz (A+36c)
4 Hugh Watts II, Leicester 1632 10cwt 38.00" 784.5Hz (G+1c)
5 Hugh Watts II, Leicester 1632 13cwt 41.00" 698.0Hz (F-1)
Photo Gallery |
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| The Church - Looking East | The Church - Looking West |
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| Plan of the Church | |
Rings A