Rugby, St Andrew, Warwickshire
	Bells:	East Tower 8; 24-3-8 in D West Tower 5; 9-2-3 in Ab
	Grid Reference:	140/504752
	Postcode:	CV21 3PT
	District:	Rugby
	Peals	Felstead Database - 8 bell Felstead Database - 5 bell
	Recording:	8-bell tower 5-bell tower
	Practice Night:	Monday 7:30pm-9:00pm  (1st West Tower; Others East Tower)
	Service Ringing:	9:45am-10:30am
	Recommended Pub:	There are lots to choose from.  Those in the GBG 2014 are: The Lawrence Sherriff, 28-29 High Street, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 3BW. Tel: 01788 517640 The Marchants Inn, 5-7 Little Church Street, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 3AW. Tel: 01788 571119 Raglan Arms, 50 Dunchurch Street, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV22 6AD. Tel: 01788 544441 The Seven Stars, 40 Albert Square, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 2SH. Tel: 01788 546611 The Squirrel Inn, 33 Church Street,  Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 3PU. Tel: 01788 544154 The Victoria Inn, 1 Lower Hillmorton Road, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 3ST. Tel: 01788 544374
	Contact:	Mr J Goddard 12 Wheatfield Road, Bilton, Rugby CV22 7LN Click to Email

History Of The Bells

Set in the centre of this railway town, this church is unique in that it has two rings of bells.

The ring of 5, put up in October of 1711 in the West tower is the original ring, it replacing a ring of four with a heavier tenor, it being cracked at the time of the recasting. The five hang in an early C17th oak frame (c.1620). The frame is arranged to have the four heaviest bells around the walls of the tower and the treble in the middle. They were rehung with new fittings by Taylors in 1930. The frame was strengthened and the bells were retuned and quarter turned. The canons were not removed from the bells at this time. Note that the weights, taken at the time of tuning are actually heavier than those given by Tilley and Walters. The bearings being replaced locally in 2002/3 following a major tower restoration. Recent research has shown that the 5 are in the key of A (-22c) and not G as has been previously stated.

With the expansion of Rugby due to the coming of the railway the church was not big enough to cope and, instead of demolition, it was incorporated into the new building to become part of the North Aisle. A new tower and spire were added by Messrs. Parnell and Sons, to the designs of William Butterfield as part of the restoration scheme that took place between 1877 & 1885. The heavy, old fashioned 8, was purchased some 10 years later and dedicated on 18th June 1896. The bells cost £513 13s 2d and the frame, fittings and chiming apparatus brought the total bill up to £812 3s 2d. The eight were rehung by Mears & Stainbank in 1955 when the original frame was lowered in the tower and the bells rehung on ball bearings. A more recent rehanging, by Whitechapel, in the existing frame was completed in 1992 - the bells not removed from the church or weighed. The "Doncaster Heads" were removed at this time.

The 8 are in the "modern" key E flat: standard pitch "flattened" sometime around 1900 so many peals are now closer to a semitone sharper than old charts say.

Car parking near the church is not easy and you should use pay and display facilities nearby. Entrance to the 8 is from outside the tower round the left as you look and to the 5 it is often through the main north door, but sometimes the tower door!

Details Of The 8 Bells
1	Mears & Stainbank, London	1896	6-3-02	31.50"
2	Mears & Stainbank, London	1896	7-0-25	32.67"
3	Mears & Stainbank, London	1896	8-0-27	35.125"
4	Mears & Stainbank, London	1896	9-1-19	37.25"
5	Mears & Stainbank, London	1896	11-2-22	41.00"
6	Mears & Stainbank, London	1896	12-2-08	42.00"
7	Mears & Stainbank, London	1896	17-0-11	47.125"
8	Mears & Stainbank, London	1896	24-3-08	53.00"
NB The cannons were removed during the 1992 rehanging and therefore the weights must be considered approximate.

 

Details Of The 5 Bells
1	Joseph Smith, Edgbaston	1711	4-2-05	30.00"	1304.0Hz	(E-19c)
2	Joseph Smith, Edgbaston	1711	4-3-17	30.50"	1159.0Hz	(D-23c)
3	Joseph Smith, Edgbaston	1711	5-2-17	32.50"	1096.0Hz	(C#-20c)
4	Joseph Smith, Edgbaston	1711	6-3-21	35.50"	976.5Hz	(B-20c)
5	Joseph Smith, Edgbaston	1711	9-2-03	39.50"	869.0Hz	(A-22c)