Grendon

All Saints 6: 11-2-14 in F#

Grid Reference 140/287008 Grendon. Source: Mike Chester
Postcode CV9 3DP
Affiliation St Martin’s Guild
Peals Felstead Database
Sunday By Arrangement
Practice By Arrangement

History

The remains of thick walls east of the arcades indicate a 12th-century origin of the nave, but no details of this period survive. The chancel, which leans to the south of the nave-axis, was rebuilt and enlarged early in the 13th century. A clearstory was added to the chancel in the 16th century. The north aisle and arcade date from about 1260. Probably the original windows were narrow lancets and were replaced by the present late-14th-century windows, or else the walls were entirely rebuilt, the 13th-century doorway being reset.

The south aisle and arcade and probably also the chancel arch were built about 1320 and the aisle was carried eastward beyond the chancel arch to form a chantry chapel (the Chetwynd chapel). The clearstory to the nave may be a little earlier than that of the chancel. The west tower and south porch are modern; the date 1820 is on the latter. The tower, built in 1845, replaced an earlier tower.

The the ring of 5 bells at this tower were augmented to six by the addition of a tenor in 1906, the third, a Newcombe bell like the fourth, being recast a semitone lower at the same time. The canons were removed from the old four bells and they have been turned and re-tuned. The “new” bells remain unturned. The fittings by Taylor 1906, but tenor was rehung on ball bearings in about 1970. The second has a modern metal plate inside the crown, indicating that a fault was found with this bell during the 1906 restoration. The fittings consist of cast iron headstocks, fixed steel gudgeons, plain bearings (apart from the tenor) and traditional type wheels, stays and sliders.

The 17th century frame is “listed” as being historically important. it is “massive” and, being older than the tower, it was re-erected in its present place in 1845. All the bells, except the fourth, swing north to south.

W.W. Worthington, the Burton brewer, rang in the first peal on the bells in 1910 and gave the “Caspar” peal board. the details of the first peal are:

Grendon First Peal

The tenor has long been quoted as being in G, but is actually F#-28c.  The inscriptions are given by Tilley and Walters in their book, “The Church Bells of Warwickshire”:

Grendon Inscriptions
Grendon Inscriptions

Details of the Bells

1 Henry Bagley, Ecton              1692   4-3-07 28.50″   1221.0Hz (D#-33c)
2 William Clibury, Wellington      1615   4-3-10 30.125″  1091.0Hz (C#-28c)
3 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough   1906   6-0-04 32.00″    971.0Hz (B-30c)
4 Thomas Newcombe II, Leicester   c1570   6-3-08 34.00″    916.0Hz (A#-31c)
5 Hugh Watts II, Leicester         1623   8-1-23 36.875″   820.0Hz (G#-22c)
6 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough   1906  11-2-14 41.18″    728.0Hz (F#-28c)

Photo Gallery

Grendon East. Source A MacRae Thomson Grendon West. Source: Chris Stafford
The Church – Looking East The Church – Looking West