Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers- Ascott Under Wychwood

Established January 17 1881

Holy Trinity , Ascott-under-Wychwood, Oxon
Chipping Norton branch of the ODG

Holy Trinity, Ascott-under-Wychwood

Dedication: Holy Trinity, Ascott-under-Wychwood

Service Ringing: Sun 9.30

Practice night: Tuesday

Availability and Restrictions: available for visitors and for quarter peals. Peals are possible.

The Bells (6) 7-2-0#

Draught: short
Audibility: 2 - (On a scale of 1 to 5, 1=faint 5=very loud)

Access to ringing chamber: Ground floor from nave in western tower

Five bells were cast in 1744 by Henry Bagley III. The Bagleys were a family of bell founders based at Chacombe in Northamptonshire who set up a temporary foundry in Witney. They supplied bells for towers in Fulbrook, Witney, Shilton, Westwell and Standlake. The sixth bell, the treble, was added in 1905 when the tower was renovated. This bell was a gift from the Cornbury Estate and was cast at Whitechapel.

All the five original bells bear inscriptions identifying the maker and the two churchwardens of the time. These were John Chaundy and Michael Rose. In addition the 2nd bell bears the inscription "A new song sing unto the Lord" and the 3rd "Fear God and honour the King".

The following information is from F. Sharpe The Church Bells of Oxfordshire. He visited the tower in 1948.

Frame: wrought iron side-pattern.
Gear: Elm headstocks, plate gudgeons and plain brass bearings.

A ring of 6; tenor 7-2-0#, diameter 34”, tuned to A

Bell	Weight cwt-qr-lb	Date cast	Founder	Foundry location	Inscription
Treble	3-0-2	F^#	1905	Mears & Stainbank	Whitechapel	MEARS & STAINBANK, FOUNDERS, LONDON. IN 1905, WAS I MADE, AS A GIFT FROM CORNBURY
2	3-3-0#	E	1744	Henry Bagley III	Witney	IOHN CHAUNDY MICHAELL ROSE C W HB MADE MEE J744 [Border H12 on cable moulding all round bell] SING [H1] UNTO [H1] THE [H1] LORD [H1] A [H1] NEW [H1] SONG [H1]
3	4-1-0#	D	1744	Henry Bagley III	Witney	FEAR GOD HONOUR THE KING J744 [two coins] [Border H1]
4	5-0-0#	C^#	1744	Henry Bagley III	Witney	HENRY BAGLEY MADE THIS PEAL IT IS SURE IN THE YEAR J744
5	6-0-0#	B	1744	Henry Bagley III	Witney	MICHAELL ROSE IOHN CHAUNDY C WARDENS H BAGLEY MA. M. J744
Tenor	7-2-0#	A	1744	Henry Bagley III	Witney	IOHN CHAUNDY MICHAELL ROSE CHURCH WARDENS H B MADE MEE J744
Clock	0-2-0#		1797		Whitechapel	1797

Notes:

The following information comes from the Chipping Norton website. Ascott is a small Cotswold village in the Evenlode Valley close to the Oxfordshire Way. The houses consist of attractive limestone cottages round the village green. The village is famous for the Ascott Martyrs who were imprisoned when they protested against low agricultural wages.

The church is partly of Norman origin and is set in a large churchyard featuring a long avenue of Lime trees. The interior of the church is quite plain and in the chancel is a three-seated sedilia. The windows are in various styles dating from circa 1290 Early English to circa 1560 Perpendicular.

The Clock:

In 1920 the clock was moved from the stable block at Corbury Park to the church. It strikes on its own clock bell and so does not require hammers to be pulled off.

Travel Details: OS Grid Ref: SP301187

Eating Places: The Swan Inn opposite the church

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