There are eight bells in the tower, tuned to F sharp.
The Tenor bell weighs 12cwt 2q 2st (about 625 kilos.)
Our entry in Dove's Guide
History.
The original bells came from Hulton Abbey, which was suppressed in 1538. The Ecclesiastical Survey of 1553 records that
there were "Three belles in ye steepul". The old church was demolished and a new one built in 1735 but the bells were not hung
in the tower until 1752. In 1826 they were recast into a modern full circle ring of six. These six were again recast in 1930.
In 1949 the wooden frame was replaced by a steel one and the bells augmented to eight.
In 1999 the frame was re-painted for the first time since 1949. A sound control system was incorporated when the tower roof
was retiled in the same year. The tower clocks are now working on all three faces. The hour chime was restored in 2001.
It is vital that the clock hammer be pulled to safety prior to ringing.
Practice night.
Friday, 8pm to 9pm. Visitors are very welcome but please contact the deputy Tower Captain before travelling.
The belfry door is on the north side of the tower and accessed by a short flight of external steps.
Use of the church car park at the front of the rectory is recommended. Service ringing on Sunday is 9:30am and 6pm
Wedding bells.
Available at a cost of £80. Ask the Rector when booking your wedding.
Visitors
Because of the proximity of housing the Rector will allow full peals only for the most special occasion. Like a Coronation.
Or Port Vale winning the FA Cup! He is a little more generous with quarter peals but prefers times when local residents are
either at work or indoors, such as weekday mornings or winter evenings. Outings are much more likely to win his approval.
There is a good car park and room to turn a coach. We can advise on where not to eat lunch and the best route to the next tower.
Regrettably a toilet is not available. We often have visits from ringers cruising the Cauldon Canal. Contact the deputy Tower Captain
Barbara Johnson on 01782 537055 or barbjohnson@tiscali.co.uk. she will liase with the
Rector and arrange keys etc.
Learners.
Always welcome. Speak to Barbera Johnson or the Rector. Youngsters will need written parental permission. We have male and
female tutors who are CRB checked.
The tower is a member of the North Staffs Association of Change Ringers.
