Chadshunt

All Saints 6: 11cwt in F# (GF)

Grid Reference 151/349530 Chadshunt. Source: David Kelly
Postcode CV35 0EH
Affiliation Coventry DG
Peals Felstead Database
Sunday None
Service None
Other Information Redundant Church – No electricity

History

The earliest fabric in the church is in the eastern part of the nave which dates from the middle of the 12th century. The nave was lengthened towards the west in the 14th century. Early the following century a clerestory was added to the nave, the south wall was refaced, and buttresses were added. In the 17th century the west tower was built and in about 1730 the chancel and north transept were added. The roof was repaired in 1866, and a restoration was carried out in 1906. The church vested in the Churches Conservation Trust on 1 May 1988. Though this is a redundant church with limited ringing it is possible to gain permission to ring for outings.

It is quite easy to miss the church – so be observant! From the Gaydon turning off the M40, J12, you turn to the west. You soon meet a roundabout junction with the B4100 at which you go straight over, towards Kineton. The church is along this road on the right. Go for just over 1 mile and then you will see a long brick wall on the right. Immediately after the end of the wall, in the middle of an “S” bend, there is an unmade path up to the church which is hidden in the trees. There are no obvious signs of the village or the church. If you get to Kineton you have gone too far!

The bells, given by Charles Newsam of Chadshunt Hall, hang in an old oak frame which basically dates from the 17th century, but the fittings were renewed by Henry and Thomas Bond of Burford in 1906. They are reported to be in “very fair going order” when rung by Warwickshire Guild members in June of 1913.

A ring of 6 by Richard Keene of Woodstock replaced 3 earlier bells in 1669. The treble and tenor were replaced in 1693 and it is likely that the old treble ended up at Water Stratford, Bucks, where it is now a part of a chime of 3 bells.

The bells were unringable for several decades until the mid-1990s. According to a letter in The Ringing World of May 17th 1963, written by William Stote, ringing stopped in 1928 when there were issues with the stonework of the tower. However, this must have been fixed at some point and work was done to the installation in the late 1990s to allow ringing to take place.

The inscriptions are given in Tilley and Walters’ book, “The Church Bells of Warwickshire”:

The Inscriptions

The canons have been removed from all the bells, which have all been quarter turned. The three tenors are maiden bells, whilst the three trebles have been tuned, the two trebles having their notes raised and the third having its lowered. This was not entirely successful and the treble remains noticeably sharp. The bells are an old fashioned ring of six that take a little bit of ringing to get the best out of them.

The first peal on the bells was rung for the Coventry DG in 1999, the details being:

Chadsachunt First Peal

The church does not have electricity and this limits the ringing to some degree. Entrance is normally by the North door. Parking is very limited and you should be careful as the main road is busy.

Details of the Bells

1 Richard Keene, Woodstock  1693   4cwt   26.375″  1291.5Hz (D#+64c)
2 Richard Keene, Woodstock  1669   4½cwt  28.375″  1104.0Hz (C#-7c)
3 Richard Keene, Woodstock  1669   5cwt   30.00″   1000.5Hz (B+22c)
4 Richard Keene, Woodstock  1669   6cwt   33.25″    935.5Hz (A#+2c)
5 Richard Keene, Woodstock  1669   8cwt   36.00″    841.5Hz (G#+23c)
6 Richard Keene, Woodstock  1693  11cwt   41.125″   761.5Hz (F#+50c)

Photo Gallery

The Nave. Source: Paul Kibblewhite Chadshunt - Looking West. Source: A MacRae Thomson
The Church – Looking East The Church – Looking West
Chadshunt Bells. Source: Peter Austin Layout 6.8
The bells The frame layout
Chadshunt _ Plan. Source: British History Online
A Plan of the Church