Скачать или смотреть Historic church bells returned to All Saints Church, Stranton, Hartlepool 15-11-2022

What: Historic church bells were returned to a Hartlepool church, where they were meticulously hoisted into the tower by crane.



Location: All Saints Church, Stranton, Hartlepool TS24 7QT



Eight out-of-tune church bells have been fully refurbished back to their former glory and were hoisted in spectacular fashion by crane back to their original position in All Saints’ 60-foot-high belfry, on Tuesday 15 November.


The newly installed vicar of All Saints, Revd John Bell, blessed the bells before they went back in the tower; they will not be seen again by the public for more than 100 years!


The bells that have been ringing out-of-tune for 115 years were removed in July from All Saints Stranton in a meticulous operation through the west facing window of the belfry, using a truck mounted crane that carefully lowered each bell out of the tower onto a trailer.


The bells and their wheels were returned to the tower in a reverse operation with the crane lifting each bell deftly through the belfry window. Up to ten people were involved in the painstaking operation.


Once installed, the bells will again be rung by a large community of ringers from Hartlepool, who range in age from 11 to 80.


The bells were restored by John Taylor & Co, a bell founder in Loughborough where they were refurbished, retuned with newly manufactured bell fittings.


The peal of bells has been out of tune since 1907 when three existing bells – one of which dates from 1520 - were retuned and five more added.


The peal of eight bells will include a new bell to replace one dated 1664, which could not be safely tuned. The 17th Century bell will remain in the tower to hang ‘dead’ as a bell that can be struck and used as a Service Bell.


Andrew Frost, project manager said: “The bells were tuned 115 years ago using old tuning methods and the results were, unfortunately, very poor.


“In recent years the bells have become increasingly difficult to ring, and surveys have shown they would soon become unringable if they were not refurbished and retuned.


“Bells have hung in the tower for more than 400 years and are part of the very fabric of the church. They have rung out every week, marking significant milestones, life events and occasions for the people of Hartlepool over the centuries.


“We are very much looking forward to hearing them ring in tune now that they are restored to their former glory!


“They will remain in place, untouched, for a further 100 years, or more, and will continue to be heard by the people of the town and by their children’s children.”
Background
In 1907 the bells were increased in number from three to eight. They were tuned in 1907 using old tuning methods and the results were poor. In recent years the bells have become increasingly difficult to ring and so in 2020 the church council decided that they should be surveyed by two reputable bell companies. The results of the surveys were similar - the fittings for the bells were in very poor condition and all the bells needed cleaning and tuning. If not refurbished the bells would become unringable in a very few years. Fundraising was successful and a ‘Faculty Application’ was submitted to the Diocese of Durham. After numerous delays, including receiving the opinion of the Church Buildings Council that No 6 bell, dating from c1520 **, should not be tuned, the Chancellor of the Diocese decided that the bell should be retuned. Once it was realised that the c1664 bell could not be safely retuned and a generous donation was made to purchase a replacement bell, a ‘Faculty Amendment’ to retain the old bell as a striking “Service Bell” was passed to the Chancellor who approved it without causing any further delay. The bells will still sound the same although in tune and they will be much easier to ring.


** Bell No 6 was thought to have been cast c1599 but the founder was unknown. On arrival at Taylor & Co, the firm’s historian examined the bell after it had been cleaned of hundreds of years of grime. He discovered identification marks on the bell placed there by the founders. The bell is c1520 and was cast in Nottingham by a family firm name of Selliok.


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