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 CottinghamFor more information see : http://cottinghamhistory.co.uk/Churches%20-%20St%20Mary.htm

St George’s, Great Bromley

David Sparling reads to us about Great BromleyFor 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 photoStuart Piper told us about Pershore AbbeyFor more information seehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN0AyqSl9gIhttp://www.merrix.eu/BellRinging/towers/worcs/Pershore-Abbey.htmhttp://www.archive.pershoreabbey.org.uk/bells.html

St Peter, Great Livermere

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

Crowland Abbey

Alison Davies read to us about Crowland AbbeyFor more information see:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8DHfZ5y2oohttps://meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/history-blog/bells-of-croyland-abbey-in-lincolnshirehttps://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 Wi

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

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).