OS: SO943543
Upton Snodsbury, St Kenelm
St Kenelm, the Parish Church of Upton Snodsbury is situated in the middle of the village. The tower is a large solid square affair with ringing from the ground floor. There is plenty of room to ring the 6 bells but the ropes are long though on the day I rang they were not at all "spongy".
2007-04-23 [ expand ]
I visited for the first time on Monday 23rd April 2007. At first there were only 5 ringers including myself. I rang up bell #5 and when a sixth person arrived I rang up bell #6. As there were only the six of us I rang call changes and Plain Hunt all evening on bells #5 and #6. Although it was a long way from the ground up to the bells it didn't seem to make ringing at all tricky.
The Bells
The tower has a peal of 6 bells and there was some information on them in the ringing room. They are quite a mixture with bells #1 and #2 being cast by Charles Carr (Smethwick) in 1913, bell #3 cast by R. Sanders (Bromsgrove) in 1703, bell #4 cast by John Rudhall in 1793, bell #5 cast by John Taylor Bellfounders Ltd in 1993 and the Tenor cast by Abraham Rudhall in 1719.
"The 6 bells were tuned after the 3rd bell had been welded and the 5th re-cast and equipped with new ringing fittings. The bells were hung in a new steel frame by Arthur Barry of Malvern."
Dove's Guide includes details of the bells at St Kenelm with more information provided by the Worcestershire & Districts Change Ringing Association.
| Bell | Note | Diameter | Weight ? | Inscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5-1-12 | Armell.Green. John.Green C.W. 1738 | ||
| 2 | 5-1-2 | God save Queen Anne + RS 1703 | ||
| 3 | 8-0-2 | Richard Sanders Bromsgrove made vs all six 1703 | ||
| 4 | 7-3-15 | Iohn Rudhall Gloucester fect 1793 | ||
| 5 | 11-0-8 | Iohn Rudhall Gloucester fect 1805 | ||
| Tenor | G | 14-1-22 | Consider man when you here mee that I ear long may ring for thee 1719 |
