The Bells

....in the Towers of St Mary's Church Motcombe.

The new building and tower were built in 1846 on the exact site of the much smaller original church. Entrance to the original church was at the base of the tower of the earlier building, where bells were rung inside the porch. Above this main entrance was located a sundial.

The earliest reference to bells in the Motcombe church was in an inventory of 1552 showing there to be 4 bells and a further small bell in the lych-gate. Most probably mounted with half-wheels, these heavy ancient bells would have been swung or tolled, rather than rung as is today's fashion. Later with a background of de-forestation and Civil War unrests, the old bells appear to have been replaced, the records show there were new bells, some with inscriptions.

"the bell had a series of Roses and Thistles each surmounted by a Crown round the waist"

1660 - inscription "Thomas Burelton and Nathanial Goodenow CW"

1668 - inscription "C.T. made me in 1668"

1675 - inscription "William Gatehous, William Goding C.W, William Cockey Bell Founder of Frome"

No mention has been found for the disposal of these old bells.

The present ring of six bells
The new bells, cast by the Warner Foundry, were dedicated in the new tower and rung for the first time on 8th November 1887, the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and also the occasion of Lady Westminster's 90th Birthday.

The funding for the new bells was by the village folk and friends, and the gift of Lady Theodora Guest, of the Westminster family of Motcombe House (now Port Regis School). A commemorative brass plaque, in the shape of a bell, can be viewed in the church to the side of the entrance door

A century later, the oak beam bell-frame of 1887 was showing signs of de-stabilisation, and despite some early work on the anchorage, ringing was stopped in 1999, for safety considerations.

The bells were lowered and sent to London for refurbishment and retuning, and a new metal "state of the art" frame installed in the tower with all new fittings to replace the old timber arrangements.

Re-dedication of the bells, and ringing, re-commenced in June 2002 on the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee. The rehanging of the bells was done by Robert Parker of Taunton and a very nice peal of bells is the result.

The Sound of Bells at Motcombe
The old stone relic by the church entrance is the remains of an ancient cross, thought to pre-date the buildings. Most probably, a crude form of hand-bell would have been used to gather folk for worship around this early structure.

The Sound of Bells at Motcombe
The old stone relic by the church entrance is the remains of an ancient cross, thought to pre-date the buildings. Most probably, a crude form of hand-bell would have been used to gather folk for worship around this early structure.

And then later....

There is a small bell mounted on the roof of the old school next door which was rung regularly until fairly recently, and in living memory. Might this small bell be - as has been suggested - that same lych-gate bell of earlier times? Probably not!

A Carillon attachment was installed in the tower sometime after 1887. This enabled the six bells to be struck single-handed. There were attempts to pick out short phrases of selected hymns and psalm chants, but only within the limited range of the six bells.

Now disconnected only the control cabinet remains, mounted on the wall of the ringing chamber.

Many thanks to Alan Hughes for the pencil drawings of our church and bells!

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Page last modified on: April 11 2008 16:49:09. GMT