0:00 Sopley
5:52 Hinton Admiral
10:24 Lymington
14:45 Milford on Sea
Friday morning was a relaxed affair, to recover from the laid-back previous evening; the Simon of 2015 would have been horrified! Following a brunch of bacon butties, courtesy of our Right Honourable Table, Connor, we set out on a trip down memory lane, with three of today's towers having been a part of the inaugural 2015 Tour.
Our first tower was Sopley. Whilst parts of the church are 11th century in origin, much of today's building dates from the 13th century. A prominent feature is the striking fresco of the Crucifixion of Christ, painted by John Emms in 1869, and recently restored to its full glory. The bells themselves are a delightful little six, which handle well and sound super. The back 5 were cast by Gillett & Johnston 5 in 1925 (except the present-day fifth, a surviving older bell, by Robert Patrick of London in 1784). A treble was added by Taylors in 1963, augmenting them to 6. We too were augmented, with the arrival of Smashley! Our ringing ranged from the usual fare (including the call-changes and Grandsire featured here), to some more adventurous touches, including a course of London Surprise Minor.
https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/12911
All too soon it was time to move on to our next tower; our only five of the week, Hinton Admiral. The earliest part of the church is the Nave, built as a chapel of ease in 1772 (which was later consecrated, becoming a church in its own right, in 1786). The church underwent major restoration and enlargement in the 1870s and 1880s, with the addition. This work was almost entirely paid for by Sir George Gervis, the baronet of Hinton. The final part of this project was the addition of a ring of bells, these being cast by Taylors of Loughborough in 1884. They were rehung (but not tuned) by Whites of Appleton in 2013, and consequently handle well; however, they are extremely loud inside, and there isn't much space in the ringing chamber! Having received the warmest welcome of the week here, we were soon in full swing. Alongside an array of Doubles, we also recreated a highlight touch from our first Tour; Cambridge Minor, by addition of a handbell! This touch was dedicated to Margaret Chapman, our Honorary Gulliver, who trebled for this touch in 2015.
https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/13371
Up next was Lymington; our only 'non-original' tower of the day, although we did ring our 100th Guild quarter peal here! Having found lunch in the (appropriately-named) Wetherspoons, our numbers were bolstered again with a new arrival: RobloxBells. Whilst there has been a church on this site for at least 800 years, with the foundations believed to have been laid during the reign of King Henry III (originally as a chapel for Christchurch Priory), most of the present building dates from the 17th and 18th centuries; it certainly has a Georgian look and feel about it! The meaty ring of eight are predominantly a ring cast by Robert II Wells of Aldbourne in 1785. In 1901, Taylors added (or recast) the treble, tenor and 5th, giving us the present lineup. They form a pleasing old-style ring, with plenty of colour, and which handle very smoothly. Note also the slightly unusual gold-and-blue sally combinations! Aside from the call-changes and Plain Hunt seen here, we also finished with a flourish; a solid three leads of Bristol.
https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/12765
Our final tower was my personal highlight of the week, and a place very dear to me: Milford on Sea. The church is a substantial building, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. The tower, begun sometime around 1240, was known to contain three bells (plus a 'lytch', or funeral, bell) by 1553. These were recast in 1740, and augmented (probably to 5) in 1743, with a tenor weighing 11¾cwt. The bells were recast again, into a new ring of 5, by Thomas Mears of Whitechapel in 1838 (with a tenor weighing 8-2-27). They were completely replaced again in 1928, with a brand new octave cast by Taylors and hung on contemporary fittings (including a new cast-iron frame and Hastings stays). As expected from a 'golden era' Taylor ring, they are superb; a hidden gem that often get overlooked. Fuelled by more cake from Mummy Rachel, we powered through a wide repertoire, including Grandsire Doubles and Bristol Surprise Major (both featured here).
https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/14111
A full history of Milford's bells may be found here:
https://www.milfordhistory.org.uk/wp-...
Following the (by now, obligatory) post-ringing pint, I took a stroll along the beach before reconvening for a fish and chip supper by the sea (Mr Pink's being another good reason to visit Milford!).
Up next - one more video to go from this year's Tour; but will we finish with a bang or a whimper? Do we dip below five bells at all this Tour? And did we successfully complete that blessed 69 at every Tower? All will be revealed in the final episode!
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