Weird and wonderful bell towers (2 of 2)

Following on from last month’s edition, podcast host Cathy Booth reveals another dodgy dozen or so weird and wonderful towers. WARNING - this podcast contains details of hair-raising ringing environments, definitely not for the nervous ringers amongst you! 

Enjoy another litany of trapdoors, spiral staircases, beam scrambling, comedy pulleys and 17th-century ladders.

We now have a whole new list of things to watch out for – bizarre ringing circles, ropes arranged around the organist, and, erm, falling concrete! And as lovely as weddings are, Cathy discovers these can be the source of much distraction. Please do be careful not to lasso a bridesmaid!

Lastly, and most importantly, always be EXTREMELY cautious if you accept an invitation to ring a quarter peal at a church whose bells are described as “rung from cage above chancel crossing”.

Featured towers:

St Mary Magdalene, Cottingham, Northamptonshire

• Simon Head read to us about Cottingham
• For more information see : http://cottinghamhistory.co.uk/Churches%20-%20St%20Mary.htm

St George’s, Great Bromley

• David Sparling reads to us about Great Bromley
• For more information see https://www.greatbromley.org.uk/st-georges-church-great-bromley?fbclid=IwAR0QwFFqHiL_J0jwQSXXcM04_0qRAk5MDHHnWlCb3y0KlapdjK4hr0F7q3I

Pershore Abbey

• Pershore Abbey where ringers ring from the square platform that you can see suspended in the top centre of this photo
• Stuart Piper told us about Pershore Abbey
• For more information see
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN0AyqSl9gI
• http://www.merrix.eu/BellRinging/towers/worcs/Pershore-Abbey.htm
• http://www.archive.pershoreabbey.org.uk/bells.html

St Peter, Great Livermere

• Neil Dodge read to us about the tower at Great Livermere
• For more information about this church see http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/gliver.htm

Crowland Abbey

• Alison Davies read to us about Crowland Abbey
• For more information see:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8DHfZ5y2oo
• https://meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/history-blog/bells-of-croyland-abbey-in-lincolnshire
• https://ldgcb.org.uk/news/news2014/crowland_radio4.php

Inveraray

• Steve Johnson read a story recalled by Roy Le Marechal about a failed quarter peal attempt at Inverary.

St Wilfrid’s church, Hickleton, Derbyshire

• St Wilfred’s church, Hickleton : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Wilfrid%27s_Church,_Hickleton

Several London towers

Steve Johnson read a report from Steve Jakeman about towers he has come across in his role as Bell restoration officer for the Middlesex County association.

St. Michael And All Angels, Skelbrooke

Helen Nichols read to us about Hickleton and Shellbrooke.

For more information see : https://robinhoodlegend.com/parish-church-st-michael-angels-skelbrooke/

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org.