Augmentation

'....From a derelict 5 to a very ringable 10, in 15 years'

Ringing World, front page heading, 4/10/02

Pre 1987: the original ring of 5

In 1707 a ring of 5 bells was cast for St Peter’s Church by Michael Bushell of Evesham. Unfortunately, the tenor had to be recast in 1732 by Abraham Rudhall II of Gloucester. We have no idea know why. Other bells by this founder and his partner William Clarke have lasted well, so a defect is the less likely cause (see MICHAEL BUSHELL for more details of these founders). The ring of 5 lasted until 1987, when they were rehung and a treble added. Prior to the rehang, the bells were in a completely derelict state. The 5 hadn’t been rung for 35 years and a piece of the soundbow of the treble had chipped off.

1987: the ring rehung as 6

The ring of 5 was rehung by Whites of Appleton, who made an excellent job of it. A metal frame with two tiers was installed, with two bells in the upper frame and four below. A chance to augment to 6 came about when Rev Peter Newing found a redundant bell of the right weight and proportions in Yorkshire. This was purchased and was sent off with the existing 5 to Whites, where all were sent for tuning (by Whitechapel Bell Foundry) and were given new fittings. The old treble was repaired successfully by welding at Soundweld. All the bells, including the ‘new’ treble, retained canons and these were accommodated by fitting canon-retaining headstocks. The 6 bells were dedicated in July 1987. A new band of mainly young ringers was formed and this band made extremely good use of the bells. Many quarter-peals were rung, some peals were scored and the band became very successful in local striking competitions.

1995: augmentation to 8

The decision to augment to 8 was a natural progression for the band and this was accomplished in 1995. A rearrangement of the top level allowed two more pits. Hayward Mills Associates undertook the work, as Whites were engaged on considerable other work elsewhere. The overall feature of this project was to match wherever possible the materials used in the Whites’ rehang, so that everything looked as though it had been built together. The new trebles were cast by Whitechapel and were cast with canons to match the existing bells. They were fitted with the same ‘up-and-over’ canon-retaining headstocks used in 1987. Even though Whitechapel had ceased using this pattern in favour of less-counterbalancing units, Hayward Mills had new ones specially fabricated. A visual match was the secondary consideration in this case: the intention was to ensure that the new bells matched the existing ones dynamically as far as possible. The finished result more than justified any extra expense. The belfry looked completely consistent and the new trebles were superb, dropping into place completely naturally. They were immediately an 8, not a 6+2. The new bells were dedicated on Saturday August 5th, 1995

2002: augmentation to 10

A remark by Peter Hayward after that augmentation, that he could get 10 into the tower, was not lost on the Tower Captain, Andrew Baker. In 2001 Andrew made the dramatic announcement: ‘We’re going for 10’. There was certainly some surprise in the local ringing community. Some thought it a jolly good idea, but many thought it rather hare-brained: why does this little country tower want 10 bells? The reason was actually quite sane. Andrew had managed to encourage a number of youngsters from the village to the tower to learn to ring. He had about 14. Although more bells were very desirable, it was the attraction of a ‘light 6’ for training purposes that was particularly uppermost in his mind. In addition, Andrew had asked Peter Hayward to prepare a draft set of drawings for 10, to determine whether 10 was possible. It was.

However, the 10-bell frame required much more rearrangement than the augmentation to 8. For one thing, all but one of the main beams had to be moved and a new one added on each level. As the tower is quite small, the tolerances on the measurements were quite critical. To reduce costs, Andrew volunteered to dig out the concrete surrounding the beam ends and to cut out the new holes in the walls. Fellow ringer Geoff Watkins became involved, which was useful because he knew all about millimetres. Andrew knew nothing about millimetres and had to have a crash course in using them, which is a bit tough if your trade is strong on feet and inches and tolerances of half-an-inch are acceptable (he is an Undertaker). However, he was good at digging holes, except that these were horizontally through stone and not downwards through earth! Very soon, the tidy belfry became a big open space, with no bells, no sideframes, a few beams and holes in the walls. Some of the beams had to move only 50mm (2”). It looked like a battleground. Slowly things started to take shape. Firstly the beams of one level were concreted in and then the sideframes were fitted. Then the other level was done. Five pits on each level were formed, just as it said on the plans. The mist was beginning to clear.

Hayward Mills finished the frame and refitted the bells in their new pits, along with the new trebles. The successful formula of last time was followed, whereby these bells were cast by Whitechapel with canons (Doncaster type, as last time) and fitted by HMA with the same ‘up-and-over’ pattern headstocks. Many augmentations of rings with canon-retaining headstocks seem not to get it quite right, such that the new bells revolve more quickly than the rest and the ringer has to hold them on the balance at each stroke to match speeds. This effect had been avoided successfully in 1995 and the hope was that, again, the dynamics of these bells would match the rest.

The new trebles were donated by Mr Walter K Wornick of America. An American donating English ringing bells seems quite unusual; and of course it is. When it is known that he had already donated the flat 6th bell for Evesham Bell Tower in 1976 and had made a substantial donation towards the extra treble bell and its hanging there in 1992, it becomes more understandable. Walter worked in the New York’s education department and has always had a deep interest in the education of youngsters. On retirement he went to live in New Hampshire, where he has a house high up on a mountain. He enjoys travel and visits England generally twice a year. He visits Evesham on these visits, where he is well known by the local ringing community. He supported the educational and training reasons for the Pebworth augmentation to 10 and was very generous in feeling able to donate both bells.

Other very generous donations came from the Worcestershire & Districts Change Ringing Association and the Gloucester & Bristol Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers. Both donations were well in excess of their normal levels, which emphasised the importance both associations placed on the educational merits of a light 10 in an area where even 8’s are non too plentiful.