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Church Bells in the Billericay Area Below are the churches with bells in the Billericay area. There are no Change ringing Towers operational in the Billericay area, so I have included the nearest Change ringing towers as well. The Essex Association of Change Ringers have a Website: http://www.eacr.org.uk Bells have been associated with religion in many ways over the centuries and we normally think of them with weddings or calling the faithful to church on Sundays, but Bell Lore is far more complicated than just tolling, chiming or ringing. What's the difference did you ask? So starting with basics: tolling is the striking of a single bell in slow repetition; chiming is when a set of bells is sounded in turn usually by swinging them from side to side; ringing, by which we mean change ringing, is a peculiar English practice where the bell or set of bells is rotated through 360 degrees and the clapper strikes the bell as it rotates. The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers have a Website: http://www.cccbr.org.uk Essex Demonstration Bell The Essex Association has bought the Demonsration Bell from the Suffolk Guild. Churches Together in Billericay inconjunction with Churches Together in Essex have had the Bell at Barleylands Steam and Country Show in 2002 and 2003; Picture 1 in 2002-Picture in 2002 leaving on it's trailer-Picture 1 in 2003. It is available for hire. |
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St Mary Magdalen, Billericay There is just one bell in the tower. This bell is rung by swinging it. Apparently there was a some sort of turret in the 1342 church, because a bell with the inscription 'Galfridus: De: Hedemtun: Me: Fecit' (Geoffrey of Edmonton made me) was saved and rehung when a new tower was built in 1490, having been recast in 1890, it survives to this day in the church tower. History was extract from St. Mary Magdalen Billericay A Short History of a Church by Brian D. Gennings, reproduced with permission. Website: http://www.billericaychurches.org/html/st_mary_magdalen1.html Map Picture (bigger) |
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The Most Holy Redeemer, Billericay
At noon on New Year's Day 2000, Father Conrad blessed the Most Holy Redeemer's two bells. They then rang for an hour in concert with all the other church bells in the United Kingdom to usher in the new Millennium. The original bell has been there since 1924, but has never been rung due to the bellcote's not being sufficiently strong. Whitechapel Bell Foundry, who cast the new bell were most surprised to find the old bell, which they also made, still waiting to be rung after 76 years! However, the bellcote has been strengthened, and the bells will now be rung for the daily Angelus at 9am, noon and 6pm, for weddings and funerals and at the Consecration during Mass. The bells rang for the first wedding of the Millennium on Sunday January 2nd 2000! Website: http://www.mostholyredeemer.org.uk Map Picture (bigger) - Another Picture |
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St Mary The Virgin, Little Burstead The 15th Century Bell Tower had three bells in 1683, but one cracked and was sold for 18 pounds in 1818. The smaller of the two remaining is dated 1620 and was cast by John Clarke and is listed for preservation by the Council for the Care of Churches. According to Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the larger bell was castin their own foundry by John Clifton in 1633. The bell frame dates from the early 1600's. Extensive repair work was carried out on the bells, Bell Tower and mechanisms in 1991. Website: http://www.billericaychurches.org/html/st_mary_the_virgin1.html Map Picture (bigger) - Picture of tower |
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St Mary Magdalene, Great Burstead There are five bells in the tower, the tenor is nine cwt. The bells in this tower are in a unringable condition. Website: http://www.greatburstead.freewire.co.uk Map - Great Burstead Picture (bigger) - Picture - Picture |
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St Mary The Virgin, Ramsden Bellhouse The three bells at St Mary's can normally only be chimed, although they could be tolled by a slight Heath Robinson modification. The three bells at St Mary's are 32" in diameter made in 1615, 34" diameter made in 1638 and the tenor bell 36" diameter made in 1711, although this last one cracked and had to be recast in 1929. Map Picture (bigger) |
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St Margaret, Downham There are six Change Ringing Bells in this tower. The Tenor bell is 7 3/4 cwt. The ringing chamber is accessed by a staircase. Thursday is the practice night from 8 pm. The picture to the left, is of this tower. The Tower Captain is Roger Dorking, who can be contacted on +44 (0)1277 655979 or Email for further enquiries. Before world war 2 ther were only four bells at St Margaret's and these were 24" diameter made in 1723, 25" diameter made in 1621, 28" diameter made in 1723 and the biggest, 30" diameter made in 1677. These bells had been silent for many years until they were re hung and two more bells added in memory of the three sons of Mr and Mrs Keddie who were killed in the 1939-45 war. Map Picture (bigger) - Picture of tower - Picture SS Mary & Edmund, Ingatestone There are six Change Ringing Bells in this tower. The Tenor bell is 10 cwt. The ringing chamber is accessed by a staircase. Wednesday is the practice night from 8 pm. Website: http://www.ingatestoneparishchurch.org.uk/ Map Picture 1 - Picture 2 St Mary the Virgin, Fryerning There are six Change Ringing Bells in this tower. The Tenor bell is 9 cwt. The ringing chamber is accessed by a staircase. Ringing is by arrangement. Website: http://www.fryerningparishchurch.org.uk/ Map Picture 1 - Picture 2 St Margaret, Margaretting There are five Change Ringing Bells in this tower. The Tenor bell is 10 cwt. The ringing chamber is on the ground floor. Monday is the practice night from 7.30 pm. Getting to this church is interesting, as can be seen the church is actually outside Margaretting, also once you park your car there is the London - Norwich Main Railway line with a level crossing with automatic barriers you have to cross Picture. Church Website: http://www.margarettingchurch.org.uk/ Website: Bellringers Site Map Picture of tower - Picture of church |
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All Saints, Hutton There are five Change Ringing Bells in this tower. The Tenor bell is 6 1/4 cwt. The ringing is from the Ground Floor. Tuesday is the practice night from 7.45 pm. The picture to the left, is of this tower. The village church, All Saints', possesses quatre-foiled piers and an excellently timbered nave roof dating from the early part of the 14th century, but is almost certainly on a much earlier site. The typical Essex belfry of six posts with bracing and trellis strutting, straight from the surrounding oak woods, was built a hundred years later. The five bells date variously from 1637 to 1814, the earliest being thought to have been made by an itinerant bell maker in a pit near the church. Website: Church Site Website: Bellringers Site Map Picture (bigger) Picture 2 St Mary the Virgin, Shenfield There are six Change Ringing Bells in this tower. The Tenor bell is 9 cwt. The ringing chamber is accessed by a ladder. Thursday is the practice night from 7.45 to 9.00 pm. Map Picture St Nicholas, Ingrave There are six Change Ringing Bells in this tower. The Tenor bell is 10 cwt. The ringing chamber is accessed by a staircase. The third Wednesday is the practice night from 8.45 to 9.15 pm. Map Picture of the tower - Picture of the church St Martin of Tours, Basildon The Basildon Bell tower is the worlds first Glass and Steel Tower, with a fully ringable peal of 8 bells. The Tenor bell is 11 cwt. As can be seen on the pictures the ringing chamber is accessed by a circular staircase in the centre of the tower. There is now regular ringing. Website: About the Bells Church Website Map Picture 1 - Picture 2 - Picture 3 - Picture 4 - Picture 5 at night - Picture 6 at night PAGE INFORMATION Page made in March 2002. You are visitor |
