Our history pages are being updated with new material being used to add to and expand Shirley Bayley's original notes.

Information supplied by Shirley Bayley and Fred Howard

double click the photo to enlarge it. A peel of eight bells was hung in the tower in 1853. They were cast at the Loughborough (Leicestershire) Bell Foundry. They were donated by the following parishioners. (The number against each name is the bell which that person donated.) The heaviest bell being No. l (the tenor) and the lightest (the treble bell) is No. 8

1. The Misses Ann & Mary Evans
2. Mrs James Buckley
3. Mrs Ralph Howard
4. Mr Aaron Adshead
5. Mrs Aaron Adshead
6. Mr James Wilkinson
7. Mrs Robert Platt
8. A legacy from Mrs A.E.Booth of fifty pounds; the balance was found by the ringers themselves.

After being recast, the bells were re-installed by Taylor's Bellfounders of Loughborough in 1929. Our heaviest bell, the tenor, weighs 18 cwt and the lightest bell is the treble.

The Clock Houses

In 1855 the then Earl of Stamford gave a plot of land upon which five houses were built. The rents received were for the upkeep of the clock on the church tower (which was gifted by the Countess of Stamford) and also for the maintenance of the bells. The houses on Huddersfield Road, have always been known as the "Clock Houses" because on the middle house is to be found a facsimile of the church clock.

Bell ringers

For the past 150 years there has always been a dedicated band of "Ringers" who have rung the bells to procede church services.

During the Second World War the ringers appear to have been rung occasionally i.e. Christmas Day 1942 and Easter Day 1943.

From time to time what are known as "Peels" have been performed; one called Grandsire Triples, was rung in April 1893 in two hours and 59 minutes and which consisted of 5040 "changes" (i.e the number of times the bells were pulled). This was a birthday tribute to two of the Ringers.

Pictures you might be interested will be found here

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