Fenny Compton

St Peter & St Clare 3: 7cwt in Bb (GF)

Grid Reference 151/417521 Fenny Compton. Source: David Kelly
Postcode CV47 2YE
Affiliation Coventry DG
Peals None
Sunday None
Practice None

History

A nice pretty Warwickshire village. The name means “settlement in a marshy valley”.  It has the smallest water company in England, founded in 1886. The church was built in the early part of the fourteenth century and remodelled in the late part the same century, at which time the tower was added. The clerestory was added in the sixteenth century. Work to improve the church has taken place at several points in time; the south aisle being added in 1879.

The church has three bells, with room for more. They are very much in a ringable state. The cast iron frame and fittings are by Thomas Bond of Burford, 1938. The frame is “lowside” in construction and stands on still girders fixed in the walls of the tower. The bells all swing north-south in parallel pits. Fittings include rolled steel headstocks, plate gudgeons, and traditional wheel, stays and sliders.

The treble was previously rehung by Barwells in about 1900 at which time it was quarter turned. It has now been one-eighth turned. The other two bells have been quarter turned. All bells have had their canons removed. A piece from the old bellframe dated 1636 is preserved in the tower. It has been made into an oak stool.

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

Fenny Compton Inscriptions

(Chris Pickford has the tenor as being 1663)

Look for the sign from High Street signed “Church Street Only” to the left

Details of the Bells

1 Henry Bagley I, Chacombe    1636  4cwt   28.00″  1213.5Hz (D#-44c)
2 John Appowell, Buckingham  c1560  5½cwt  31.00″  1105.5Hz (C#-5c)
3 Henry Bagley, Chacombe      1663  7cwt   34.25″   952.5Hz (Bb+37c)

 

 Photo Gallery

Fenny Compton Looking East. Source: Mary Hine

Layout 3.1

The church – looking east The frame layout