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St. Nicolas, Abingdon, Oxon
Old North Berks branch of the ODG
St. Nicolas, Abingdon tower
St. Nicolas, Abingdon ©KMC 15 Oct 2002
Dedication: St. Nicolas, Abingdon

Service Ringing: Sun 10.30

Practice night: Tue 7.30pm (2,4)

Website: www.abingdonbells.org.uk

The Bells (6) 7-1-18

Access to ringing chamber:  on first floor, either via a short spiral staircase or an ordinary staircase and a trapdoor which is closed during ringing.

A ring of 6, tenor 7-1-18, tuned to Bb
Bell Weight
cwt-qr-lb		 Strike
Note		 Date
cast		 Founder Foundry
location		 Inscription
Treble 4-2-10 G 1741 Abel Rudhall Gloucester PEACE & GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD
A [D1] R 1741
2 4-2-9 F 1741 Abel Rudhall Gloucester MAY THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND FOR EVER FLOURISH
A [D1] R 1741
3 4-2-22 Eb 1741 Abel Rudhall Gloucester PROSPERITY TO THIS PARISH
A [D1] R 1741
4 4-3-9 D 1741 Abel Rudhall Gloucester ABEL RUDHALL OF GLOUCESTER CAST US ALL 1741
5 5-3-7 C 1741 Abel Rudhall Gloucester ANTH: CLAXTON CH-WARDEN INo: GREEN & NICH: MAYO OVERSEERS
A [D1] R 1741
Tenor 7-1-18 Bb 1741 Abel Rudhall Gloucester I TO THE CHURCH THE LIVING CALL & TO THE GRAVE DO SUMMON ALL
A [D1] R 1741
Sanctus     1741      
Info taken from their website dated October 2003 and a leaflet from the church.
The tower was added in about 1470, some 300 years after the church was built; there was no room to expand the church sideways, so the tower was built standing on a tall arch at the West end of the nave.
Ringing chamber ST. Nicolas
Inside St. Nicolas Ringing Chamber New Year's Day ringing 1 Jan 2003 ©KMC 1 Jan 2003


A ring of six bells was cast by Abel Rudhall of Gloucester in 1741. The canons were removed in 1933 and the bells rehung in a new two-tier cast-iron frame by Gillett and Johnston of Croydon. All bells hang on cast-iron headstocks and ball-bearings.
History: William Blacknall, a wealthy man, bought the abbey after it surrendered to Henry VIII. In his will he left property to maintain the church building and to help support a Reader to take daily services. His grandson was John Blacknall whose memorial is shown below. He and his wife died of the plague on the same day in 1625.
Blacknall monument, St. Nicolas Abingdon
Blacknall Monument, St. Nicolas, Abingdon ©KMC 1 Jan 2003
On the tower facing up the nave are two embroidered panels made by the Thames Crafts Guild for the millennium and dedicated by the Bishop of Reading in December 2000.

Ringing chamber from aisle St. Nicolas Abingdon
Ringing Chamber from the aisle©KMC 1 Jan 2003


The panel on the right shows the history of Christianity and St. Nicholas church. That on the left shows the parallel history of the town of Abingdon. The ringing chamber can be seen on the first floor, glass panels separate the ringers from the aisle. Old North Berks Branch ringers can be seen having coffee and considering a bell related Quiz. Further historical details can be found in F.Sharpe, The Church bells of Berkshire

Notes:

Points of interest in church: Blacknall monument, millennium embroideries

Church facilities: toilet kitchen- Key kept in vestry

Travel Details: OS Grid Ref: SU498971. Use public car parks.

Public Transport: see the Abingdon page

Eating Places: see the Abingdon page

Local points of interest for non ringers:   Described in the Abingdon page.
Return to the Old North Berks listings page

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