Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers- Lambourn

Established January 17 1881

St. Michael, Lambourn, Berks
Newbury branch of the ODG

St. Michael, Lambourn

Dedication: St. Michael, Lambourn

Service Ringing: Sun 10.30 (2,4)

Practice night: Thu 8.00pm (by arrangement except lent)

The Bells (8) 20-2-0

Draught: Average
Audibility: 4 - (On a scale of 1 to 5, 1=faint 5=very loud)

Access to ringing chamber: External door to spiral staircase

Bell weights 1950 © KMC 29 Apr 2004
Rehung on ball bearings by Gillett & Johnston

Bell weights 1969 © KMC 29 Apr 2004
Retuned and rehung with new fittings by Whitechapel

The following information comes from Andrew Bull. The inscriptions are copied from F.Sharpe The Church Bells of Berkshire. He visited the tower in 1939.

Frame: Metal, low; Warner 1892.
Gear: Cast iron headstocks, Fixed steel gudgeons, Self-aligning ball-bearings, Traditional English type wheels, Traditional stays; Whitechapel Bellfoundry 1969.

A ring of 8, tenor 20-2-0, diameter 51” tuned to D

Bell	Weight cwt-qr-lb	Strike Note	Date cast	Founder	Foundry location	Inscription
Treble	5-1-3	D	1804	James Wells	Aldbourne	JAMES WELLS ALDBOURN WILTS FECIT .·. .·. .·. .·. .·. .·.
2	6-0-7	C^#	1742	Henry Bagley III	Witney	HENRY BAGLEY MADE MEE IT IS TRW IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD J742 :::: ::::::::::::
3	7-1-12	B	1639	John Wiseman	Montacute	AN • NO • DO • MI • NI • 1639 I W
4	8-3-5	A	1637	Nathaniel Bolter	†	[Cross]ANNO DOMINI 1637
5	10-0-17	G	1892	John Warner & Sons	London	RECAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD. LONDON 1892. THOMAS SPICER &JASON WITHERS CH WARDENS JAMES WELLS ALDBOURN WILTS FECIT 1804
6	10-2-24	F^#	1639	John Wiseman	Montacute	ANNO DOM[other defaced letters]
7	14-0-9	E	1637	Nathaniel Bolter	†	[Cross]ANNO DOMINI 1637
Tenor	20-2-0	D	1637	Nathaniel Bolter	†	[Cross] COME • WHEN • I • CAL • TOSERVE • G O D A LL 1 6 37

Notes:

†Nathaniel Bolter was part of the Purdue/Bolter group who founded in the West Country.
Inscription on the Tenor, copied from F.Sharpe The Church Bells of Berkshire.

Architecture:

Norman North door, Lambourn

A late Norman church with a prominent crossing tower, all four crossing arches are in good repair. Interesting carvings and a North Door.

Travel Details: OS Grid Ref: SU326789 - Park in Market square car park

Local points of interest for non ringers:

Racehorse training on the Lambourn Downs, but you have to be up early to see them
Severn barrows, ancient burial site in Upper Lambourn, actually has over 20 with examples of bell, bowl, disc and twin barrows.

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