Bell Details
These bells have actually changed quite significantly since they had a quarter rung on them as Whitacre Campanile. Bells 1,2,3,4 have all been changed to make the octave and the Tenor was replaced to give a much better sounding heavier tenor than the original 11oz bell. Bells 5 and 6 are the original pair built into a frame back in 2000 and survive as part of the ring to this day.
Bell 1 G - 8 ½ oz Fitted 2025 3 ⅛" dia Small bell to complete the ring but ideally need to be F# bell and bigger
Bell 2 F - 15oz Fitted clapper 2025 4" dia Table top sale bargain Feb 2018
Bell 3 - D# - 2lb 14oz Fitted 2017 5 ½" dia Gift from Jim Currin
Bell 4 - C# - 2lb 8oz 5 ¾" dia Moved June 2017 formerly treble with a 2lb note C bell used as temporary second.
Bell 5 - B - 3lb 1oz Jubilee 1977 6" dia Removed from a try-your-strength machine made for the 1977 Jubilee
Bell 6 - A# - 11lb 4oz Gordon’s bell 7 ⅞" dia Gift from Gordon H. Lane (1932-2015)
Bell 7 - G# - 5lb 15oz Fitted 2021 7 ⅜" dia Gift from Jim Currin
Bell 8 - F# - 20lb 5oz Fitted 2008 9 ½" dia Bought Ebay July 2008 £70 ex Bell-buoy boat bell
Bell 1 G - 8 ½ oz Fitted 2025 3 ⅛" dia Small bell to complete the ring but ideally need to be F# bell and bigger
Bell 2 F - 15oz Fitted clapper 2025 4" dia Table top sale bargain Feb 2018
Bell 3 - D# - 2lb 14oz Fitted 2017 5 ½" dia Gift from Jim Currin
Bell 4 - C# - 2lb 8oz 5 ¾" dia Moved June 2017 formerly treble with a 2lb note C bell used as temporary second.
Bell 5 - B - 3lb 1oz Jubilee 1977 6" dia Removed from a try-your-strength machine made for the 1977 Jubilee
Bell 6 - A# - 11lb 4oz Gordon’s bell 7 ⅞" dia Gift from Gordon H. Lane (1932-2015)
Bell 7 - G# - 5lb 15oz Fitted 2021 7 ⅜" dia Gift from Jim Currin
Bell 8 - F# - 20lb 5oz Fitted 2008 9 ½" dia Bought Ebay July 2008 £70 ex Bell-buoy boat bell
Installation Details
The frame and most of the bells were originally installed in a different shed and known as the Whitacre Heath Campanile.
To find out more about this installation and it's construction click here
The current installation is mounted about 3m up in the air on 4"x3" joists supported on the roof purloins within the building. The frame is made up of 50mm steel angle iron which is welded into frames which can hold four bells, wheels and associated equipment. All bells are mounted on self aligning plumb blocks and the angle iron only really acts as supports for the head stocks. Pulleys are suspended from this frame below the 22 inch wheels which are made up of a sandwich of 6/18/6mm MDF sheet. The tenor wheel have a cut out on it to accommodate the larger bell.
The original set up was further modified in Spring 2017 when the building was fully insulated and boarded out. This necessitated the complete removal of the bells. Subsequent reassembly was completed in June 2017 in virtually the identical position but it now looks rather different around it.
After moving to the Palace Campanile the ropes were able to have sallies rather than sprayed red rope areas. Experiments with nylon ropes being custom made from 6mm white nylon with 12mm diameter red white and blue cored rope spliced into the sally area to made decent reproductions of the real thing but these did not prove strong enough to ring properly with. The ropes are melted to join them and the sallies no longer have to pass through the pulleys in the current higher installation.
Finally in 2021 proper mini ring type hemp ropes were purchased and do complete the experience.
2025 finally saw eight bells fitted with clappers thus completing the original concept to have a ring of eight even though ideally a better treble is still needed.
To find out more about this installation and it's construction click here
The current installation is mounted about 3m up in the air on 4"x3" joists supported on the roof purloins within the building. The frame is made up of 50mm steel angle iron which is welded into frames which can hold four bells, wheels and associated equipment. All bells are mounted on self aligning plumb blocks and the angle iron only really acts as supports for the head stocks. Pulleys are suspended from this frame below the 22 inch wheels which are made up of a sandwich of 6/18/6mm MDF sheet. The tenor wheel have a cut out on it to accommodate the larger bell.
The original set up was further modified in Spring 2017 when the building was fully insulated and boarded out. This necessitated the complete removal of the bells. Subsequent reassembly was completed in June 2017 in virtually the identical position but it now looks rather different around it.
After moving to the Palace Campanile the ropes were able to have sallies rather than sprayed red rope areas. Experiments with nylon ropes being custom made from 6mm white nylon with 12mm diameter red white and blue cored rope spliced into the sally area to made decent reproductions of the real thing but these did not prove strong enough to ring properly with. The ropes are melted to join them and the sallies no longer have to pass through the pulleys in the current higher installation.
Finally in 2021 proper mini ring type hemp ropes were purchased and do complete the experience.
2025 finally saw eight bells fitted with clappers thus completing the original concept to have a ring of eight even though ideally a better treble is still needed.
