Five
Bells for Boothby Pagnell
In 2005 the
At the same time, the Friends of St Andrew’s Church, Boothby Pagnell was
looking at a programme of works to refurbish the church. A recent legacy from villager, Bob Leeson,
coupled with a donation from John Greenhough, an enthusiastic bell ringer, had
enthused the villagers to see if they could obtain a peal of 5 bells to go into
the existing frame (for 5 bells) that had been built in 1897. Therefore, the fact that the Aisthorpe bells
were available and a perfect fit for the existing frame at St Andrew’s, meant that
it was quickly agreed to support the transfer of the five bells from Aisthorpe.
The three existing bells at Boothby Pagnell could be dated, the smallest
one from the mid –fifteenth century, the two larger ones were inscribed 1594
and 1606.
They were rehung in 1897, in a new oak frame, during the refurbishment
of the church by Mrs Annie Thorold. They
had been silent for 30 years until ringers from Grantham rang them in 1987 and
over the next ten years a total of 10 quarter peals were rung on them.
Guy Riley and Mike Collier from Boothby Pagnell were part of a team from
Taylors, Eayre and Smith, Bellfounders from Loughborough, which removed the
five bells from Aisthorpe in 2006.
These bells were then taken to the foundry in Loughborough to be
retuned. In conjunction with this, Juliet
Riley, as the secretary of the Friends
of St Andrew’s at this time, took the lead in weaving her way through all
the obstacles in the path of the project.
As a result, approvals were obtained from the Diocese to carry out
strengthening works to the bell tower in Boothby Pagnell and to install the
bells.
Finally, on
On Dec 2nd the retuned 5 bells were transported from Loughborough
to Boothby Pagnell, by flat bed lorry, and with the help of Andrew Usborne, Guy
Riley, Mike Collier, Pam Collier, John Hodson, Mark Hodson, Ernie Roberts,
Percy Hunt, Robert Cornford, plus lots of cake and tea from the ladies in the village, they were transferred into the church
and winched up into the bell tower of St Andrew’s.
During the next week the volunteers, under the guidance of Steve
Westerman from
On Dec 18th they were rung for the first time, on the
occasion of the Carol Service at St Andrew’s.
The five bells were originally cast by J Taylor & co. Bellfounders
of Loughborough in 1867, so in effect they ‘went home’ to be retuned.
The details of the bells
after retuning are;
1. Dia. 29 ¾” weight 5cwt
3qrs.26lbs. Note E
2. Dia.
31” weight 5cwt 3 qrs 20lbs. Note D sharp
3. Dia. 32 5/8” weight 6cwt
3qrs 8lbs. Note C sharp
4. Dia.
34 ½” weight 7cwt 2qrs
6lbs. Note B
5. Dia.
39 5/8” weight 9cwt
2qrs 0lbs. Note A
For more history of St Andrew's Church click here