Stockton Heath: Cheshire's New Ten!

I'm back! Nearly two years away... and something very special...

Cheshire (and the world) have a brand new ring of ten bells now ringable at Stockton Heath, just south of Warrington, weighing in at 16-3-6 and tuned to E. The back eight bells come from Bollington (also in Cheshire), cast in 1880, but the front two were cast in 2015 due to a very generous donation. The eight were refurbished and all ten tuned and hung by John Taylor and Co. of Loughborough and are now ringing out across the village (though quietly due to extensive sound control). All the locals are a brand new band, but they are well supported by nearby towers (Daresbury, Runcorn, Weaverham, Hartford and Grappenhall to name a few).

They go well, handle their weight, and there are plans to make them sound better in the ringing room as at the moment they are far too loud, especially when the striking isn't perfect.

The first part of the film was shot during the first open ringing ever on the bells, the Mid-Cheshire Branch of the Chester Diocesan Guild's AGM in December 2016, and features Plain Hunt on 9 and then Stedman Caters. The second part, in the belfry, was shot a week later at the Christmas Festival where I tied the seventh for silent demonstration to visitors, and could capture some unique footage of the bell being rung "up" from "down" whilst close but at a safe distance of course.

This may not be the start of many more videos, but some may begin to pop up now I'm in a new area of the country...

TRIVIA My brother's first job in his new role at Taylors was the clappers for this installation so any breakages can be blamed on him!