The Bells
The bell tower at St James the Great, Snitterfield, contains a grand ring of six bells, which hang level with the louvre windows. The bells were last fully rehung and restored in 1887. A new oak and cast bellframe was installed and all new bell fittings put in place. In 1947, a partial rehang and overhaul was carried out.
| What work is proposed?
· The bells to be removed, retuned and rehung on mainly new fittings; · They will be equipped with new, modern cast iron headstocks; · The runner boards and sliders to be renewed; · The clock hammer to be overhauled and refaced; · The bell hammers to be replaced with a safer ‘trigger action’ type lever, reducing the chance of the bell being damaged by the hammer (optional); · The current bell 3 to be replaced; · The bellframe to be cleaned down, treated with a Creoseal solution and the tie bars tightened and repainted. · A rope guide frame to be installed in the ringing chamber.
After rehanging, the bells will continue to serve the church and the village for many years to come
| How will it be done?
· Temporary lifting gear to be installed and each bell carefully lifted from its mountings and lowered to the ground floor via a spider crane; · All bells to be transported to the workshops of John Taylor & Co in Loughborough where the headstocks will be removed and the bells cleaned and graphite coated; · New resin pads to be cast on the heads of the bells to provide a stable surface on which to mount the new headstocks; · The bells to be retuned and provided with double row, self-aligning ball bearings with bearing seals—this will make it easier for the existing bellringers and make it easier for learners; · The bellframe to be cleaned down, tightened and treated with Creoseal wood preservative; · The bells, with their new and restored fittings to be returned to the church and hoisted and hung in the bellframe—any necessary adjustments made; · Passageway up to the tower to be made good; · A skeletal steel framed rope guide to be installed in the ringing chamber; · A full service to be carried out after twelve months.
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