Harry Sear's band Astwood's bell frame Bletchley's bells in the churchyard Old Bradwell band Calverton's old church Thornborough re-hang Olney's bells Astwood church in the snow Downs Barn installation Newport sub-web
North Bucks Branch Archive Project

Main Branch site:

Branch site

The Branch web site contains up to date information about ringing in North Bucks. Much of the information formerly in this site can now be found there.

Latest on this site:

Corrections to analysis of bell harmonics at Wavendon and Great Linford - June 2022
TowerDedicationBellsmp3
OlneySt Peter & St Paul10

Peals86
Quarters75
Members13

Fastest peal

TimeDate
3h, 1mOctober 15, 1994
3h, 3mOctober 2, 1920

Longest peal(s)
Peal Board
Photo DescriptionPeal Board
Approx Date1895
  
12345678910...

Branch events here:

DateEventNotes
December 20, 2014Branch Practice & Xmas Social 
September 20, 2014Branch Practice 
June 21, 2014Branch Practice 
March 15, 2014Branch Practice at Olney on simulator 
December 21, 2013Branch Practice at Olney on simulator 
September 21, 2013Branch Practice at Olney on simulator 
June 15, 201310 bell Branch Practice on simulator 
March 23, 2013Branch 10-bell Practice 
November 17, 2012Branch Practice with Towcester 
November 17, 2012Branch Practice with Towcester 
123

Peals

Who has circled the tower to peals:

Ringer
B Douglas Hird
David Phillipson

Who has rung the most peals here:

RingerPealsMost Recent
William Freeman16December 16, 1933
B Douglas Hird15November 17, 2018
Frank Boswell14October 29, 1949
Alan J Marchbank13December 6, 2015
Frederick J Mynard11October 29, 1949
Sidney W Smith11December 5, 1910
William J Robinson11April 21, 1951
David Phillipson10December 6, 2015
Ruth Stokes10November 17, 2018
Christopher C Stokes10November 17, 2018
123

Bell Frame

Bellframes Type 8.3.A - h
As used (with minor differences - some with and some without the lower "stretcher rail") by
Taylor of Loughborough 1892 to date
Llwellyns & James of Bristol c1904-1925
Mears & Stainbank (Whitechapel) c1920 to date
Whites of Appleton c1955 to date

Classification from "Bellframes - A Practical Guide to Inspection and Recording - C J Pickford 1993"

The bells now

 Documented NoteDocumented Note SourceRecorded NoteWeightDiameterCast by
1F#Weight BoardFlat of F#/Gb by 35 cents6 - 1 - 729¼Whitechapel in 2008
2EWeight BoardFlat of E by 15 cents6 - 2 - 2330½Whitechapel in 2008
3DWeight BoardFlat of D by 21 cents6 - 2 - 1232Alfred Bowell in 1903
4C#Weight BoardSharp of C by 32 cents6 - 2 - 2733Alfred Bowell in 1903
5BWeight BoardFlat of B by 26 cents7 - 2 - 2735¼Henry Bagley in 1682
6AWeight BoardFlat of A by 20 cents7 - 2 - 1735½Newcombe in 1599
7GWeight BoardFlat of G by 15 cents10 - 1 - 740Henry Bagley in 1699
8F#Weight BoardSharp of F by 19 cents13 - 2 - 1944Robert Atton in 1631
9EWeight BoardFlat of E by 17 cents16 - 0 - 1547¼Thomas Russell in 1733
10DWeight BoardFlat of D by 13 cents24 - 0 - 952¼Henry Bagley in 1682

Tuning

The figures and diagram below show the difference, in cents, between each bell and what it should be to be in tune with the tenor.
A positive figure shows that the bell is sharp, a negative figure shows that it is flat. There are 100 cents between notes on the scale.
BellTuning
1-2
100
2-1201
39
4-9
5-6
60
76
8-15
9-6

History of bells in this tower:

From 1599From 1631From 1682From 1699From 1733From 1903From 2008
      1 of 10 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Ltd
      2 of 10 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Ltd
     1 of 8 Alfred Bowell3 of 10 Alfred Bowell
     2 of 8 Alfred Bowell4 of 10 Alfred Bowell
  1 of 6 Henry II Bagley  3 of 8 Henry II Bagley5 of 10 Henry II Bagley
2 of 6 Newcombe & Watts    4 of 8 Newcombe & Watts6 of 10 Newcombe & Watts
   3 of 6 Henry II Bagley 5 of 8 Henry II Bagley7 of 10 Henry II Bagley
 4 of 6 Robert Atton   6 of 8 Robert Atton8 of 10 Robert Atton
    5 of 6 Thomas Russell7 of 8 Thomas Russell9 of 10 Thomas Russell
  6 of 6 Matthew I & Henry II Bagley  8 of 8 Matthew I & Henry II Bagley10 of 10 Matthew I & Henry II Bagley