St Peter 8: 10-0-5 in F#
Grid Reference | 151/335510 | |
Postcode | CV35 0HN | |
Affiliation | Coventry DG | |
Peals | Felstead Database | |
Sunday | 0950-1030 | |
Practice | Monday 1930-2100 | |
Other Information | Ringing Centre Website |
History
Set in the middle of this village you cannot miss this church. It is worth having a moment to look around it before ringing the pleasant bells. There was a church here by 1135. The present church building consists of a chancel with a north organ-chamber and vestry, nave with north and south transepts and a north aisle, and a west tower. The west tower is said to date from 1315, but its west doorway is probably earlier and its windows later. The remainder of the building contains no ancient features.
It was partly rebuilt by Sanderson Miller of Radway in 1775, when the transepts and aisle were added, and again largely renovated during the period 1877–89, being furnished with new windows, pierced parapets, &c. The organ-chamber and vestry were added in 1897. The whole church is built of dark brown Hornton stone. An old view of the church shows the chancel with square-headed windows and the nave and south transept with plain four-centred lights.
The bells were hung in an 8-bell frame by Gillett & Johnston at the time of the 1913 restoration. A scheme to fill the vacant pits was completed in 2008. This involved selling the overweight treble to Charlwelton in Northamptonshire, to augment this ring from 4 to 5, and adding three new bells. The new bells were installed in late November 2008 and the first ringing on them was on Bonfire Night.
There were “iij bells one little bell” in 1552, then Abraham Rudhall I cast a complete ring of 5 in 1703. The treble appears at first glance to have been added soon after and shortly afterwards the tenor required recasting. However, Chris Pickford has unearthed evidence that suggests that though the treble, though dated 1716, was probably added “second hand” to the ring sometime between about 1735 and 1749. The donor, according to the Rudhall Catalogues, was almost certainly William Freeman (more often spelled as Freman) of Aspenden Hall and Hamells Park in Hertfordshire. He was born in 1702 and it is therefore very unlikely that he would have given a bell to Kineton at the age of 14. (He did, however, donate a number of bells to churches around his homes in the years up to his death in 1749 and also two trebles to Magdalen College in 1739/40 to make the chapel’s ring up to ten.) This would partly account for it being out of proportion with the rest of the ring.
The fifth, weighing about 8cwt, became cracked in 1910 and the bell was recast and the ring tuned and rehung in a cast iron “H” bellframe three years later. The new bell was cast without canons and those of the other bells were removed. The bells were rehung on ball bearings by Taylors in 1967. Bells 4, 5 & 6 and the tenor have been quarter turned. The new trebles were cast without canons in 2008.
Notice that the treble of the 6 was heavier than bells 2, 3 and 4. G & J records show frequencies in 1913 as: 1252, 1127, 1003, 939, 846 & 752Hz.
The first peal was rung shortly after the bells were dedicated:
The inscriptions of the bells prior to the 1913 rehang are given in Tilley and Walters’ “Church Bells of Warwickshire”
The then fifth bell was, as stated, recast and it is inscribed:
RECAST BY GILLETT & JOHNSTON CROYDON 1913
The three new bells are inscribed
Treble | GIVEN BY THE COVENTRY DIOCESAN GUILD OF CHURCH BELLRINGERS IN MEMORY OF HARRY WINDSOR MBE 1932 – 2007 |
2 | REV. CHARMAINE HOST, VICAR NICHOLAS GUNN RICHARD IWANEK CHURCHWARDENS |
3 | NOW WHEN WE RING I SWEETLY SING |
The first peal on the ring of 8 was rung in 2009:
This church is a CC Recognised Ringing Centre, called “The Edgehill Ringing Centre”.
Park by the churchyard wall. If you have to ask for directions – pronounce Kineton to rhyme with “Fine Ton”!
Details of the Bells
1 Taylor, Eayre & Smith Ltd 2008 3-3-12 25.125″ 1502.0Hz (F#+26c)
2 Taylor, Eayre & Smith Ltd 2008 4-0-02 26.00″ 1409.0Hz (E#+15c)
3 Taylor, Eayre & Smith Ltd 2008 4-0-14 27.00″ 1253.0Hz (D#+12c)
4 Abraham Rudhall I, Gloucester 1703 4-1-09 28.75″ 1128.5Hz (C#+31c)
5 Abraham Rudhall I, Gloucester 1703 4-3-00 30.00″ 999.0Hz (B+20c)
6 Abraham Rudhall I, Gloucester 1703 5-0-07 31.375″ 932.5Hz (A#+0c)
7 Gillett & Johnston, Croydon 1913 8-0-18 35.875″ 843.5Hz (G#+27c)
8 Abraham Rudhall I, Gloucester 1717 10-0-05 39.875″ 752.0Hz (F#+28c)
Previous Treble (of 6)
1 Abraham Rudhall I, Gloucester 1716 5-1-00 29.50″ 1250.5Hz (D#+8c)