John Tristram, the Bell Captain, is happy to provide instruction or information about learning with Offwell’s own band of ringers and he can be contacted on 01404 831404 or via email: bjtristram@gmail.com
Service ringing is the first Sunday of the month, 9.00 - 9.30am and as arranged.
Practice (with Mary Boulton’s group) – 7.45 - 9.00pm, each Tuesday, various locations. Please check with John Tristram beforehand.
Visiting bands regularly come to ring our excellent bells. Recent visitors include the Dorset Peal Ringers, Bovey Tracey Ringers, Taw, Torridge and Tamar Ringers, Churchstanton Ringers and the Open University Ringers.
The East Devon Branch of the Guild of Devonshire Ringers also practice advanced methods in our tower about once a month.
Service ringing is the first Sunday of the month, 9.00 - 9.30am and as arranged.
Practice (with Mary Boulton’s group) – 7.45 - 9.00pm, each Tuesday, various locations. Please check with John Tristram beforehand.
Visiting bands regularly come to ring our excellent bells. Recent visitors include the Dorset Peal Ringers, Bovey Tracey Ringers, Taw, Torridge and Tamar Ringers, Churchstanton Ringers and the Open University Ringers.
The East Devon Branch of the Guild of Devonshire Ringers also practice advanced methods in our tower about once a month.
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In June 2021 St. Mary’s, Offwell, celebrated the 200 year anniversary of the Ellacombe Chimes. (More information on the anniversary celebration can be found in the ‘History of Bell Ringing’ document folder in the church).
John Seymour, the previous Bell Captain, told me that when he first came to Offwell the
Rector would sometimes play tunes on the chimes, but when I became Tower Captain I
found that several of the pulleys which brought ropes down to the chime frame in the
ringing chamber were jammed. The ropes themselves were unserviceable. Some were
actually parted, others knotted together, all worn and frayed. After the first Covid lockdown Clive Whithear very kindly helped me bring the mechanism into working condition and on Christmas morning 2020 I was able to chime the bells to welcome parishioners to morning service.
News 2023
The two Offwell ladies who started their bell ringing tuition in 2022 are nearing completion of their training. We will then be able to ring all six bells for service with our own band, without outside help.
Our present ringers are Paul Hutchinson, David Pavey, Helen Sutton, Claire Griffiths and myself, John Tristram. Offwell Primary School continue to run a lunchtime club for children in Years 5 and 6. One child from last year’s group is interested in continuing and we are hoping to organise tuition for this child outside school.
Bell ringers at Tedburn St. Mary have come up with a rather compelling list of reasons for taking up bell ringing: “You may never have thought about taking up bell ringing but there are many advantages:
John Tristram, Bell Captain
February 2023
Trebles Going
www.treblesgoing.org.uk is a website financed by The Edna Grabham Memorial Education Trust for Bath and Wells Association of Change Ringers members and for those further afield.
Born into a ringing family Edna would often spend her holidays cycling round the country ringing. “We would ride till our bottoms were sore, then ring till our hands were sore!”
This website is full of fascinating information on all aspects of ringing and includes varied and interesting ‘Bits and Pieces’ sent in by visiting ringers. These include images of beautifully decorated tower boards and the following minutes from a 1927 Axbridge Branch meeting:
“Election of Local Secretary – Mr. H. Minifie of Weston-Super-Mare proposed that Mr. Leonard Tanner be elected, as Secretary to the Axbridge Deanery, because he had a Motor Cycle. This was seconded by Mr. Alex Evans of Burnham, who said he was going to propose the same man. I forget his reason – but anyway, it was carried.”
If you want to read more about bell ringing at St. Mary’s look for the document folder in church entitled ‘The History of Bell Ringing and The Ellacombe Chimes Bicentenary’.
John Tristram, Bell Captain
John Seymour, the previous Bell Captain, told me that when he first came to Offwell the
Rector would sometimes play tunes on the chimes, but when I became Tower Captain I
found that several of the pulleys which brought ropes down to the chime frame in the
ringing chamber were jammed. The ropes themselves were unserviceable. Some were
actually parted, others knotted together, all worn and frayed. After the first Covid lockdown Clive Whithear very kindly helped me bring the mechanism into working condition and on Christmas morning 2020 I was able to chime the bells to welcome parishioners to morning service.
News 2023
The two Offwell ladies who started their bell ringing tuition in 2022 are nearing completion of their training. We will then be able to ring all six bells for service with our own band, without outside help.
Our present ringers are Paul Hutchinson, David Pavey, Helen Sutton, Claire Griffiths and myself, John Tristram. Offwell Primary School continue to run a lunchtime club for children in Years 5 and 6. One child from last year’s group is interested in continuing and we are hoping to organise tuition for this child outside school.
Bell ringers at Tedburn St. Mary have come up with a rather compelling list of reasons for taking up bell ringing: “You may never have thought about taking up bell ringing but there are many advantages:
- You will make new friends
- You get to see parts of historic buildings that the general public never see
- You can ring in all weathers and every day of the week if you wish to
- You have free use of thousands of pounds worth of equipment
- It keeps you fit as you have a ‘workout’ that would cost a fortune at the gym – and you do not have to be very strong
- When you are good enough you can actually get paid for ringing
- You can ring anywhere in the world that has bells hung for change ringing
- You’ll be keeping alive a tradition that has been going for hundreds of years."
John Tristram, Bell Captain
February 2023
Trebles Going
www.treblesgoing.org.uk is a website financed by The Edna Grabham Memorial Education Trust for Bath and Wells Association of Change Ringers members and for those further afield.
Born into a ringing family Edna would often spend her holidays cycling round the country ringing. “We would ride till our bottoms were sore, then ring till our hands were sore!”
This website is full of fascinating information on all aspects of ringing and includes varied and interesting ‘Bits and Pieces’ sent in by visiting ringers. These include images of beautifully decorated tower boards and the following minutes from a 1927 Axbridge Branch meeting:
“Election of Local Secretary – Mr. H. Minifie of Weston-Super-Mare proposed that Mr. Leonard Tanner be elected, as Secretary to the Axbridge Deanery, because he had a Motor Cycle. This was seconded by Mr. Alex Evans of Burnham, who said he was going to propose the same man. I forget his reason – but anyway, it was carried.”
If you want to read more about bell ringing at St. Mary’s look for the document folder in church entitled ‘The History of Bell Ringing and The Ellacombe Chimes Bicentenary’.
John Tristram, Bell Captain
St. Mary's six bells
The Treble
The smallest bell, weighs 3cwt 18lbs. It was cast in 1952 and largely paid for by Capt. Welch-Thornton.
It is inscribed:
John Taylor & Co. founders, Loughborough
F.E. Copleston, Rector
J.V. Ramsden, W.H. Farmer, Churchwardens
Richards, Captain of BellsJ.N. Welch-Thornton dd (meaning ‘made it’)
R.G. Copleston Collegit (collected the funds)
The smallest bell, weighs 3cwt 18lbs. It was cast in 1952 and largely paid for by Capt. Welch-Thornton.
It is inscribed:
John Taylor & Co. founders, Loughborough
F.E. Copleston, Rector
J.V. Ramsden, W.H. Farmer, Churchwardens
Richards, Captain of BellsJ.N. Welch-Thornton dd (meaning ‘made it’)
R.G. Copleston Collegit (collected the funds)
The Second Bell
Weighs 3cwt 2qrs 12lbs (or 183.25 kg).
It was cast sometime between 1450 and 1530 (that is before the Reformation) by ‘IT’ of Exeter.
It is inscribed:
‘Voce mea viva depello cunta nociva’, ‘By my voice I overcome all evil’
The Third Bell
Weighs 3cwt 3qrs 12lbs (or 195.96kg).
It was cast at Wellington in 1709 by the bell founder Thomas Wroth the First.
The inscription reads:
‘Huic ecclesia me donavit amici aliquot liberale quorum largitione sedulo collegit Mr Guil Bendle
TW 1709’
‘Some generous friends gave me to this church, Mr. William Bendle diligently collected the gifts’
Rev. William Bendle was curate at the time; the Rector lived in Gittisham where he was also the Rector.
The Fourth Bell
Weighs 5cwt 1qr 26lbs (or 278.51kg). It was cast in 1853 and was very probably made from the metal of another
pre-Reformation bell which had cracked and was melted down.
It bears the mark:
C&G Mears Founders London
The Fifth Bell
Weighs 5cwt 3qrs 13lbs (or 298kg).
It was probably made around 1500 and bears the message:
‘Protégé virgo pia quo convoco sancta maria’
‘Saint Mary, Holy Virgin, protect those I summon’
The Sixth Bell (or Tenor Bell)
Weighs 7cwt 3qrs 9lbs (or 397.8kg).
It was cast by Thomas Wroth in Wellington at the same time as the third bell (1709).
The inscription reads:
‘Sir Edmund Prideaux and Nicholas Dilling, Wardens, William Bendle Minister John Ford
(John Ford was the patron of the living)
T 1709 W’
There are 6 Bells; Tenor 7cwt 3qr 9lb
Weighs 3cwt 2qrs 12lbs (or 183.25 kg).
It was cast sometime between 1450 and 1530 (that is before the Reformation) by ‘IT’ of Exeter.
It is inscribed:
‘Voce mea viva depello cunta nociva’, ‘By my voice I overcome all evil’
The Third Bell
Weighs 3cwt 3qrs 12lbs (or 195.96kg).
It was cast at Wellington in 1709 by the bell founder Thomas Wroth the First.
The inscription reads:
‘Huic ecclesia me donavit amici aliquot liberale quorum largitione sedulo collegit Mr Guil Bendle
TW 1709’
‘Some generous friends gave me to this church, Mr. William Bendle diligently collected the gifts’
Rev. William Bendle was curate at the time; the Rector lived in Gittisham where he was also the Rector.
The Fourth Bell
Weighs 5cwt 1qr 26lbs (or 278.51kg). It was cast in 1853 and was very probably made from the metal of another
pre-Reformation bell which had cracked and was melted down.
It bears the mark:
C&G Mears Founders London
The Fifth Bell
Weighs 5cwt 3qrs 13lbs (or 298kg).
It was probably made around 1500 and bears the message:
‘Protégé virgo pia quo convoco sancta maria’
‘Saint Mary, Holy Virgin, protect those I summon’
The Sixth Bell (or Tenor Bell)
Weighs 7cwt 3qrs 9lbs (or 397.8kg).
It was cast by Thomas Wroth in Wellington at the same time as the third bell (1709).
The inscription reads:
‘Sir Edmund Prideaux and Nicholas Dilling, Wardens, William Bendle Minister John Ford
(John Ford was the patron of the living)
T 1709 W’
There are 6 Bells; Tenor 7cwt 3qr 9lb
For more information about St. Mary's bells;
Click here to open 'Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers' - Tower details (cccbr.org.uk)
Click here to open 'Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers' - Tower details (cccbr.org.uk)
