Hawarden Bell Ringers

The bell ringers of St Deiniol's Church, Hawarden

The Tower and Bells of St Deiniol’s Church Hawarden

St Deiniol’s Church has six bells hung in the tower
Originally bells were rung to summon people to church, to warn people of danger or attack, to announce curfew and deaths, and before the days of mass communication, they told people the time. Now the bells are rung to welcome people to church on Sundays, and for weddings and special occasions.
Bells are the largest and loudest musical instruments in the world.
British bells are different from bells in most other countries because they have a 'stay' which allows them to be paused in an up-right position. This means the ringer can control when they strike by pulling them from this 'set' position to swing at the correct time. This is called Full Circle Ringing.
Bells start out by ringing down the scale, the familiar sound of bells we all know. This is written out as 1 2 3 4 5 6 if there are six bells involved. But to ring 'changes' bells change their 'place' in the order each time they strike. This is called Change Ringing.
Bells are made from an alloy of copper and tin and are arranged in a circle in the tower down the musical scale from the smallest (called the 'treble') to the biggest ('tenor') which is the lowest note.
Bell ringing music is like no other. It is not written on a standard score, is performed entirely from memory and is learnt by the path of the order that each bell sounds.
St. Deiniol’s Church was built in the 13th century and the first peal of five bells and a 'little bell' was installed in the 14th century. The earliest documented report on the bells was in 1563. These original bells were taken down and re-cast a number of times over the ensuing years until in 1660 they were taken for re-casting at the Scott bell foundry in Wigan. Normally the old bells are melted down and re-cast using the same metal before tuning and re-hanging. On this occasion it seems that only some of the bells were re-cast and new metal was used for the others.
Two of the original bells were later sold by Scotts to the church at Ledsham, a small village in Yorkshire. That small church has only three bells and two of them are still the original 14th century bells from Hawarden.
Cast into them are the inscriptions in Latin:
'SANCTA MARIA'
O SACER ET DANIEL PRO GENTE HAWARDEN ADORA
Translated this reads:
HOLY MARY
O HOLY ONE AND DANIEL PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAWARDEN'
The 1660 bells at Hawarden seem to have been a constant source of trouble and there are numerous references to expenditure on them. In 1740 whilst ringing to celebrate the birth of an heir to Sir John Glynne, the local squire, the ringers cracked a bell and the vestry decided to order a new peal of six bells.
These new bells were cast by the famous Gloucester bell founders of Abraham Rudhall, founded in 1684, but by this time run by his son Abel Rudhall, and were installed in the tower of St. Deiniol's in 1742. The church records show that the new bells cost £365-19s-6d but against this Rudhalls allowed £262 for the old bells. Transport to Shrewsbury by river boat on the Severn was included in the contract. The church wardens had to arrange transport from Shrewsbury by horse and cart.
Fortunately the tower, bells and clock survived the terrible fire of 1857. In 1859, after the restoration of the church by Sir Gilbert Scott, the bells were re-hung in new fittings by Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel bell foundry who had taken over the business of the Rudhall foundry.
Since then the bells have been taken down for re-tuning and quarter-turning a number of times, most recently in 1904 and in 1938.
Over the years the wooden frame installed in 1859 became less safe until in 1981 it was replaced by a steel frame. The work was carried out by John Taylor and Sons Ltd, bell founders, of Loughborough at a cost of £14, 500. At a service held on Easter Day, 19th April 1981, the bells were re-dedicated by H. J. Charles, Bishop of St. Asaph.

The weights of church bells are traditionally measured in imperial hundredweights (cwt) and quarters and each bell is tuned to a certain key.
One hundredweight is about 50 kg and one quarter about 12. 5 kg.
At St. Deiniol's the weights and keys of the six bells are:
Treble: 5 cwt and 1 qtr key of D #
Second: 6 cwt key of C #
Third: 7 cwt key of B
Fourth: 8 cwt key of A #
Fifth: 9 cwt and 3 qtr key of G #
Tenor: 13 cwt key of F #
Each of the six bells has an inscription cast into it:
Treble: Peace And Good Neighbourhood
Second: Prosperity To All Our Benefactors
Third: Prosperity To This Parish
Fourth: Abel Rudhall of Gloucester Cast Us All 1742
Fifth: George Hope Esq. Churchwarden And Thomas Fox Sidesman
Tenor: I To The Church The Living Call And To The Grave Do Summon All
Information from the leaflet published by Monad Press /Gwasg Monad November 2001
The church clock was made by Joyce & Co. of Whitchurch in 1854. It is driven by weights that are still wound by hand.

The bells are rung on Sunday morning from 9. 30am before the 10am service.
Bell ringing practice is at 7pm on Monday evenings.
Anybody is welcome to come up the tower to have a look.

Could I become a ringer?
Ringing is well within the capabilities of most people. The initial learning takes several weeks, after which you can begin to ring with the rest of the band.
Contact: David Roberts Tower Captain telephone 01244 535221
Further information: www. bellringing.org