Shiplake Ringing Centre

The Bells and their History

The earliest reference to Shiplake's bells is in an inventory dating from the reign of Edward VI (1547 -53) "Item: Three belles in ye steeple".

Later, the church warden's accounts for 1699 state that nine guineas was paid to the bellfounder for casting a bell.

By 1850, when the wedding bells rang out for Tennyson, there was a ring of five.

Bells existing c1860

A ring of 5; tenor 9-3-0#

Bell	Weight cwt-qr-lb	Date cast	Founder	Location	Inscription
Treble	4-3-0	1694	Samuel Knight	Reading	MICHALL FOVLOR C W 1694
2	5-1-0#	1613	Henry Knight I	Reading	HENRX KNXGHT MADE THIS BELL ANO X6X3
3	6-1-0#	?	Ellis Knight I	Reading	X AS THXRD RXNG
4	7-3-0#	1790	Thomas Mears I	Whitechapel	MR. TAYLOR & MR HOUSE, CHURCH WARDENS. THOS. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1790
5	9-3-0#	1784	Robert Patrick	London	MATTHEW TAYLOR & THOMAS COBB, CHURCH WARDENS ROBT. PATRICK OF LONDON FOUNDER 1784

To this was added a treble in 1868, and the ring was further augmented to the full eight by the addition of two more trebles in 1902, in commemoration of the long reign of Queen Victoria. The 7th and tenor bell were recast in 1925.

In 1925, the 7th and tenor bells were recast, the peal retuned, the bellframe strengthened and the bells rehung in new bearings.

Bells existing c1902

A ring of 8; tenor 9-2-15, diameter 39¾" tuned to F^#

Bell	Diameter	Weight cwt-qr-lb	Strike note	Date cast	Founder	Location	Inscription
treble	25	3-2-13	F^#	1902	Warner	Cripplegate	CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD IN 1902
2	26½	4-0-9	E^#	1902	Warner	Cripplegate	CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD IN 1902
3	27¾	4-0-26	D^#	1868	Warner	Cripplegate	CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1902 [Royal Arms] PATENT PRESENTED BY THE VICAR OF SHIPLAKE 1868
4	28½	4-2-5	C^#	1902	Warner	Cripplegate	RECAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1902 MICHALL FOVLOR CW 1694
5	30¾	5-0-17	B	1902	Warner	Cripplegate	RECAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1902 TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THE LONG REIGN OF QUEEN VICTORIA
6	32¾	6-1-2	A^#	1868	Warner	Cripplegate	RECAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD LONDON 1868 [Royal Arms] PATENT
7	36¼	7-3-5	G^#	1925	Mears & Stainbank	Whitechapel	T.MEARS 1790 RECAST 1925 MEARS & STAINBANK FOUNDERS
tenor	39¾	9-2-15	F^#	1925	Mears & Stainbank	Whitechapel	ROBERT PATRICK, FOUNDER 1784 RECAST 1925 MEARS & STAINBANK FOUNDERS

The current entry for Shiplake on DOVE can be found here.

Four of the clappers were hung on leather baldricks but these were replaced in 2004 and that some of the bells had no canons.

Rope guides were added in 1991 making this notoriously flighty eight much more enjoyable to ring! There are some interesting small handbells, mounted on a horseshoe shaped plaque and with a striking hammer inside the tower. These were presented to the ringers by a previous Vicar of Shiplake.

In 2003 a computer simulator system was installed with detectors on all 8 bells, with clapper silencing. This uses an infra red detector system with one detector on each bell wheel. Each bell has its own delay, which was tuned by ringing with untied clappers and changing the delay until the real sound and that from the loudspeakers come at the same time.

Practices at other times use the simulator. The clappers are not tied; instead they use a 'double muffle' made from part of a rubber tyre fixed on each side of the clapper. These are easily twisted round so that the clapper strikes the bell when the bells are rung unmuffled.

In August 2003 a TV monitor in the ringing chamber was connected to 2 fixed video cameras at the bell level. This gives a view from above and beneath a bell every 20 seconds, showing the movement of the bell, slider and stay when the bell is rung.

Handbells and Peal records

Ringing chamber and Coat of Arms

Carved high above the ladder inside the tower is depicted a monk's head: there is also a small external door high up on the East side of the tower, probably for a lodging and dating from the days when priests were supplied by Missenden Abbey.

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