Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers- Aldermaston

Established January 17 1881

St. Mary, Aldermaston, Berks
Newbury branch of the ODG

St. Mary, Aldermaston

Dedication: St. Mary, Aldermaston

Service Ringing: Sun by arrangement

Practice night: Thu 8.00pm by arrangement

The Bells

Audibility: 3 - (On a scale of 1 to 5, 1=faint 5=very loud)

Access to ringing chamber: Spiral staircase

The following information comes from F.Sharpe The Church Bells of Berkshire.He visited the tower in 1939.

Frame: iron lowside, 1900.
Fittings: 1900.

A ring of 8, tenor 10-2-14, diameter 39”, tuned to G

Bell	Weight cwt-qr-lb	Strike note	Date cast	Founder	Foundry location	Inscription
Treble	3-3-26	G	1900	John Warner & Sons	London	CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS L^TD LONDON 1900. “GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO” C.E.K.
2	3-2-27	F^#	1895	John Warner & Sons	London	CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS L^TD LONDON 1895. LAUS DEO SEMPER. C.E.K.
3	3-1-12	E	1860	George Mears	Whitechapel	G. MEARS FOUNDER LONDON 1860
4	3-3-14	D	1681	Henry Knight	Reading	HENRICVS KNIGHT FECIT 1681
5	4-1-3	C	1860	George Mears	Whitechapel	G. MEARS FOUNDER LONDON 1860
6	6-0-20	B	1681	Henry Knight	Reading	HENRICVS KNIGHT FECIT 1681
7	8-2-1	A	1787	William & Thomas Mears I	Whitechapel	JN^O WIX & JN^O READ CHURCH WARDENS [Fig 14] W. & T. MEARS LATE LESTER PACK & CHAPMAN OF LONDON FECIT 1787 [Fig 14]
Tenor	10-2-14	G	1900	John Warner & Sons	London	CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS L^TD LONDON 1900. “M&Oelig;ROREM M&Oelig;STIS LÆTIS SIC LÆTA SONABO” C.E.K.

Notes:

On the fourth bell, the ‘N’ in ‘KNIGHT’ is reversed.

Architecture:

The tower with its West window dates from the middle of the C 15^th, although the upper part of the tower is as late as 1500.

In 1952 the tower was found to be in need of repair and some of the massive oak beams had to be replaced by brick piers. A steel support for the spire was also found to be necessary.

Formerly a ring of five. The present 2nd was added to make six in 1895 and the treble and tenor to augment the ring to eight in 1900, when the bells were rehung in a cast-iron side frame mounted on an oak foundation, with new fittings.

On the South-West corner of the tower is a rude scratch dial.

From the guide book leaflet Aldermaston

Points of interest in church:

There are several interesting memorials in the church yard, including one to Mr John Stair, d 1820 aged 75 years. He was the local school master for more than 50 years and an enthusiastic gardener. He was probably the first person to grow the William pear. His signature was replicated on his tombstone.

Local points of interest for non ringers:

Aldermaston House, which had a gateway to the churchyard on the western side was owned by members of the Achard family in the 14th century. They are buried in Sparsholt church where their wooden effigies are still preserved.

Robert Congreve owned the House in the 18th century. He died in 1775 and the property passed though several other male descendents until in 1798 it was owned by William Congreve, the playwright, who died in 1843 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. He died insolvent and the property was sold to DanielHigford Burr, who rebuilt the House which had been damaged by fire.

In 1939 the estate was bought by Associated Electric Industries as a possible site to which to evacuate their Head Office from London. During the Second World War the property was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence and used as an airfield. Since then it has been used by the Government to produce nuclear weapons when it was called the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment. During the 'Cold War' the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) organised protest marches at Easter time from Aldermaston to London.

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