Our Bells: St Michael's Church Tower contains six bells tuned to the scale of A major.
Chenies Bells
| Bell |
Note |
Cwt's (approx) |
| Tenor |
A flat |
10 |
| 5th |
B flat |
7 1/2 |
| 4th |
C nat |
6 |
|
3rd
|
D flat |
5 1/2 |
| 2nd |
E flat |
5 |
| Treble |
F nat |
4 |
The bells were made by T. Mears of London and cast in the Whitechapel foundry. Each bell bears the inscription “T. Mears of London fecit 1826” - the year they were made and hung. The tenor bell also bears the names ”Rev John Wing rector, Joseph Randle Gurney and George Dodd, church wardens and William Beeson clark.”
The ringing chamber is on the first floor, above the vestry. The clock chamber occupies the second floor and the bell chamber is on the third floor, housing the oak frame on which the six bells are hung.
The bells are rung on the third Sunday of each month prior to the 11.00 am service by a team of ringers from Chenies, Little Missenden, Sarratt and Watford. We also ring for weddings.
For further information please contact Sandy Homewood, Tower Captain on 01923 282430 or e-mail: andyhomewood@yahoo.co.uk
Past Tower Captains, now sadly deceased (the following description was taken from a Bucks Examiner feature article in 1988)
Pensioners Bill Atkins (left) and Joe Goodman (right) have between them been ringing the changes for 100 years.
For Bill has been a bell ringer at St.Michael’s Church, Chenies for 60 years and Joe for 40.
Both were presented by the Rev Bob Stapleton with a hand painted picture of the Church to mark their outstanding efforts.
And Bill says that in a Century of ringing he cannot remember ever dropping a clanger. “When we were learners we made a few mistakes” he says, “but ever since there don’t seem to have been any problems”
Bill who lives at Bedford Close, Chenies, is 75 and Joe, who lives at nearby Commonwood is 70.
During the war the bells were banned but Bill remembers ringing them on D-Day to proclaim the good news to the village. In 1945 the chimes became true wedding bells. For he was appointed tower captain at the Church and on Sunday nights a young land girl came, Joy came to help. The young couple fell in love and married.
Said Bill: “I learnt to ring when I was 14. There are 5,040 possible changes in a set of six bells. We ring by the ‘by method’ using doubles and minors.” “I have had many happy hours ringing the bells to summon the villagers to Church.” As well as pealing the bells Bill has looked after the church grounds for the past 50 years.
Joe is an ex naval man and his knowledge of rope splicing has saved the church a great deal of money over the years.
Tower Restoration
The Summer of 2007 saw the completion of the tower restoration - the following pictures show some of the work involved.
Above right features Church Warden Sue Beard pointing out one of the top flagstones that were replaced.
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