We have a regular band of learners who get together every Tuesday morning to wake the villagers up with the sound of our 8 bells.
It’s only for an hour and a half so feel free to come along and learn more about ringing or to join us. There is no charge.
Here is a bit of information about the bells..
We have 8 bells available to ringers, this is when they were constructed..
1336 – Sanctus bell (not currently used as it is blocked off)
1697 – No. 3 bell
1701 – No. 8 bell (tenor)
1716 – No. 4 bell
1743 – No. 5 bell
1845 – No. 7 bell
~1895 – No. 6 bell
1928 – No. 1 bell (treble)
1928 – No. 2 bell
1928 – No. 8 bell (tenor) recast
Ambrosden Church Bells Repair 1928.
In 1553 the church had managed to retain it’s ring of four bells as well as a Sanctus bell dating back to 1336, at a time when many churches had bells removed in post-reformation purging.
The Sanctus bell was a small bell, about 1cwt in weight, often hung outside the church in a cote over the gable of the chancel arch.
During the Communion service at the singing of the Sanctus, a few strokes were rung of the bell, intended as an indication of the progress of the communion service to those few outside.
In 1697 a new bell was cast and others rehung by Richard Keene of Woodstock for £50 to give a ring of six bells.
Chiming Hammers
There is another way to ring the bells and that is by using the ‘chiming hammers’.
In Ambrosden we have a set of 8.
The bells are chimed by pulling on the leather sleeve fitted to each rope.
The ropes are tensioned by using adjusters below each of the ropes and it is important that they are slack when these are not being used so that the hammers can fall clear of the bells.
