Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers- East Garston

Established January 17 1881

All Saints, East Garston
Newbury branch of the ODG

All Saints, East Garston

Dedication: All Saints, East Garston

Service Ringing: Sun 8.30(2,4)

Practice night: By arrangement

The Bells (6) 17-0-0#

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

Access to ringing chamber: Straight staircase

The Bells hang in a traditional oak frame and run on plain bearings. All the fittings are at least 100 years old and the frame probably dates from the 1700s. The Bells were fitted with new elm headstocks, hoop gudgeons, brass bearings and traditional type wheels and fittings late in the nineteenth century by Frederick White of Appleton.

The Bells fell silent in 1963. In 1971, encouraged by Canon Wigg, Bill Butler and Henry Lawrenson, well known ringers from the Newbury area, inspected the tower at East Garston.

The frame was repaired, the moving parts cleaned and ringing re-commenced and continued until 1986.

In 1998, as part of the "Ring in 2000" programme, one of the old ringers, Doug Vellender, was asked to teach some local recruits the fundamentals of ringing.

Some 20 started, but only 6 determined recruits are left in 2004. They have progressed well enough to visit other towers to widen their ringing experience.

In 2001 new bell ropes were fitted to all 6 bells.

A ring of 6; tenor 17-0-0# diameter 46", tuned to E

Bell	Weight cwt-qr-lb	Strike Note	Date cast	Founder	Foundry location	Inscription
Treble	5-1-0#	C^#	1741	John Corr	Aldbourne	1741
2	6-2-0#	B	1677	Ellis & Henry Knight	Reading	FRANCIS GARRARD 1677
3	7-2-0#	A	1741	John Corr	Aldbourne	No inscription
4	8-0-0#	G^#	1842	Thomas Mears	London	THOMAS MEARS FOUNDER LONDON THO^S PALMER, MAINDEN COURT W. HENRY PALMER, EAST GARSTON CHURCH WARDENS 1842
5	11-2-0#	F^#	1752	Edward Read	Aldbourne	EDWARD : READ : OF : ALBOURN : WILTS : 1752
Tenor	17-0-0#	E	1763	Robert Wells I	Aldbourne	M^R. WILLIAM PALMORE : M^R. WILLIAM AMBROSE : CHURCHWARDENS. ROBERT WELLS OF ALBOURNE FOUNDER ANNO : DOM : J763. : .

Notes:

Canon Jenkyn

No description of bellringing in East Garston would be complete without reference to the late Rev. C.W.O. Jenkyn.

Cyril Walford Osborn Jenkyn was born in East Garston in 1874, the son of W. 0. Jenkyn,who was the vicar of East Garston from 1870 to 1901. Rev. Cyril Jenkyn learned bellringing at East Garston and Lambourn as a boy.

He rang his first peal, a memorised sequence of 5,040 changes usually lasting over three hours, at Cambridge and became branch chairman and librarian of the Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers.

He was Deputy master of the Guild 1905 - 1910 and was elected Master in 1910, a post he held until his death in 1933.

Cyril Jenkyn liked to ring heavy bells, these included the tenors at Southwark and St. Mary le Bow; these bells weigh over two tons (2,000kg) each. His frequent visits to the many towers in the area were eagerly awaited by the local ringers.

Cyril's photograph hangs in All Saints and many other belfries in the area, and there is a memorial to him at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. This remarkable man is still remembered today, not only for his many achievements but also for his friendliness and infectious enthusiasm.

The model bell he made is still being used today. He died in Newbury and is buried in East Garston about 50 yards west of the church tower.

The memorial is a granite Celtic cross standing on a roughly hewn block with kerbs. The inscription is made in leaden letters; it is:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
CYRIL WALFORD OSBORN JENKYN
PRIEST
BORN IN EAST GARSTON 1874
CALLED TO HIGHER SERVICE EASTERTIDE 1933
GRANT HIM O LORD ETERNAL REST
ALSO OF OLIVE MARY, WIFE OF THE ABOVE
DIED DEC. 5. 1952.

Bill Butler has a scrap book made by Canon Jenkyn's sister. In it he found this newspaper cutting:

The "Chronicle", for Friday April 21 1933 records: "We regret to record the death of Rev C W O Jenkyn, MC, of Broadlands, Grosvenor Road, Caversham, which occurred with startling suddenness on Monday. Mr Jenkyn had been attending a festival of the Oxford Diocesan Guild of Bellringers which was being held at Newbury. He was Master of the Guild, and whilst the members were ringing a peal on the bells at the Newbury Parish Church, he left to hear them from a distance. He had not gone 100 yards when he collapsed and died before medical aid could be summoned."

He had been ringing a touch on the newly augmented bells of St. Nicholas, Newbury.

A memorial plaque was erected by his fellow ringers in the cloisters of Oxford Cathedral.

Points of interest in church: Canon Jenkyn memorial

Travel Details: OS Grid Ref: SU362771 - Church car park

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