{"id":1776,"date":"2025-01-03T17:07:44","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T17:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/?p=1776"},"modified":"2026-04-07T18:58:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:58:31","slug":"st-cuthberts-bells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/2025\/01\/03\/st-cuthberts-bells\/","title":{"rendered":"St Cuthbert&#8217;s Bells"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_84\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-84\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/A-frame.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-84\" src=\"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/A-frame-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-84\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A frame<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.stcuthbertswells.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.wellsbells.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/DSC_0162-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/DSC_0162-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/DSC_0162-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/DSC_0162-1024x576.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click to enter St Cuthbert&#8217;s Church web site (opens in a new window)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The bells at St\u00a0Cuthberts\u00a0are tuned to the key of Db, the Tenor bell weighing\u00a027 cwt.\u00a0The two oldest bells in St Cuthberts are 17<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0century:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tuned to G, the oldest bell (cast in 1664 by Robert II Austin) was found to be cracked in 1992 and is now displayed\u00a0in the church. Its replacement is a dutch bell cast by Eijsbouts and is tuned to Gb so as to fit in better with the scale of Db major of the other bells<\/li>\n<li>Tuned to Bb, the second oldest bell is still in use and was cast in 1683 by Thomas Purdue\u00a0(the\u00a03rd\u00a0of the current ring of 8 bells)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is likely that the bells were made up to a set of six in or around the 1780&#8217;s. Two of these bells are still in existence cast in 1785 (current 6<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0bell) and 1787 (current tenor)\u00a0by William Bilbie.<\/p>\n<p>The last major work\u00a0on the bells was completed in 1888 as a jubilee project when they were made up to a set of eight\u00a0by Taylors of Loughborough. Two new bells funded by the local ringers were added (the current trebles). Of the original 6 bells, the 5<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0(the current 7<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0bell) was\u00a0found to be cracked and was recast. The original 2<sup>nd<\/sup>\u00a0bell was also recast. A report of the dedication service can be found in\u00a0&#8220;<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsbells.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Bell-News-Vol-6-No-312.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">The Bell News Vol 6 No. 312&#8243; p614\u00a0(Saturday, March\u00a017, 1888)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong>&#8220;. \u00a0The frame is of an unusual design based on a fixed lower wooden frame and a floating upper wooden frame. In between, an\u00a0<strong>A<\/strong>\u00a0frame contains the ball-bearing mounts on which each bell is hung.<\/p>\n<p>When the replacement for the 1664 Austin bell was cast in 1992, the opportunity was taken to add a ring beam to the tower as there were concerns that the weight of the bells\u00a0were affecting\u00a0the fabric of the tower.<\/p>\n<p>The successful addition of a new rope guide for the front 6 bells in 2015\u00a0is the latest work to be completed in the tower to help bell handling due to the long draft<\/p>\n<p>Evidence still exists in the ringing chamber of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The original chiming mechanism (although the ropes and some of the hammers have gone) that allowed tune ringing to be achieved<\/li>\n<li>Gas light fittings that were used prior to electricity arriving in the tower<\/li>\n<li>An internal chiming mechanism on small bells (used when the bells were silenced) to allow ringing to continue during WWII.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a title=\"St Cuthberts bell details\" href=\"http:\/\/dove.cccbr.org.uk\/detail.php?searchString=wells&amp;numPerPage=10&amp;Submit=Go&amp;searchAmount=%3D&amp;searchMetric=cwt&amp;sortBy=Place&amp;sortDir=Asc&amp;DoveID=WELLS+CUTH\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Dove&#8217;s Guide for Church Bellringers<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0gives details of each of the bells<\/p>\n<p>The ringers at St Cuthberts are affiliated to the\u00a0<strong><a title=\"Bath and Wells Association of Bell Ringers\" href=\"https:\/\/bath-wells.org\/tower\/wells-st-cuthbert\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Glaston Branch of the Bath and Wells Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_1776\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"1776\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The bells at St\u00a0Cuthberts\u00a0are tuned to the key of Db, the Tenor bell weighing\u00a027 cwt.\u00a0The two oldest bells in St Cuthberts are 17th\u00a0century: Tuned to G, the oldest bell (cast in 1664 by Robert II Austin) was found to be cracked in 1992 and is now displayed\u00a0in the church. Its replacement is a dutch bell &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/2025\/01\/03\/st-cuthberts-bells\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">St Cuthbert&#8217;s Bells<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_1776\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"1776\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-st-cuthberts-bells"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1776"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1788,"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1776\/revisions\/1788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellsbells.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}