OS: SP162435

Mickleton, St Lawrence

The parish church of St Lawrence, Mickleton, is situated in the East of the village and surrounded on three sides by open fields. Mickleton is at the northern edge of the Cotswolds so the church, like much of the village, is built of Cotswold stone. The Church is clearly visible from High Street, which is where I managed to park, and is a short walk up a lane that leads off High Street.

Ringing is from the ground floor and the space can be reached either from inside the church or from an external door in the tower on the West face. There is not a lot of room for anyone in addition to those actually ringing.

For anyone arranging a tour, there is a toilet.

2009-08-15

I visited for the first time on Saturday 15^th August 2009 to join the Four Shires Guild of Bell Ringers for their weekly practice session.

A short walk from the Church is the Three Ways House Hotel, home of The Pudding Club. Lynn and I decided to make an evening of it and had a light snack before I rang and followed the ringing with just one of their excellent puddings!

Ringing at an 8+ bell tower always seems to attract more ringers (>20 on this occasion) and I still do not know any methods for 8 bells. I decided to have a go at Grandsire Triples. My first attempt at a couple of plain courses wasn't too bad, I got to the end okay but I'm sure that I went wrong a couple of times at the 6-7 dodges. However, on my second attempt I felt comfortable that I had rung a couple of plain courses without any problems.

I only rang on bell #3 which presented no difficulties.

The Bells

The tower has a ring of 8 bells with a tenor weighing 15-3-16 in E. Dove's Guide includes details of the bells at St Lawrence and more information is provided by the Gloucester & Bristol Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers.

Bell		Inscription
1	Dove's Guide to the bells at St Lawrence	John Taylor and Co. Founders Loughborough J.S. 1891
2		John Taylor and Co. Founders Loughborough 1891 EGO DEI GLORIAM + ET PIAM MEMORIAM + ANNAE MILLARD PROLOQUOR + IVBILAEVS NOMINOR +
3		G. Mears and Co. Founders London 1862
4		Recast by John Taylor 1894
5		1668
6		RICH KEENE CAST THIS RING BY THE APPOYNTMENT OF HENRY HURST JOHN BONNER JOHN WALFORD WILLIAM ROSE WILLIAM WIDDOWES FEOFFEES OF A MESVAGE CLOSE AND ONE YARD LAND IN MICKLETON BELONGING TO THIS CHVRCH WHOSE PIOVS EXAMPLE MAY GVIDE THEIRE SUCCESSORS TO IMPROVE THE PROFITTS OF THE PREMISES FOR THE GOOD AND BENEFITT OF THIS CVRCH FOREVER 1668
7		J. RUDHALL RECAST THIS BELL A.D. 1827 BY THE ORDER OF THE FEOFFEES OF THE CHVRCH LANDS. LEFT FOR THE REAPAIR of MICKLETON CHURCH, AND PIOVS AND CHARITABLE USES VIDE, INSCRIPTION ON THE FOURTH BELL
Tenor		VENETE EXELTEMUS PROSPERITY TO ENGLAND GOD SAVE THE Q & CHVRCH ABRAHAM RVDHALL OF GLOVCESTER BELLFOVNDER PEACE & GOOD NEIGHBOVRHOOD 1706