THREE BELLS

The bells at All Saints Mackworth were cast in Nottingham in the seventeenth century and have rung out over Mackworth for the past 350 years. They have been rung for services and weddings and tolled for funerals. In more recent years they were set up on an Ellacombe system meaning that one person could chime them from ground level.

Although the bells did not sustain major damage in the arson attack of 2020, (and any fire damage is covered by the insurance) time, rust and use had already taken their toll. In 2021 following the devastating fire, Ecclesiastical Insurance, our wonderful insurers, had them removed from the tower to the safe keeping of John Taylor Bell Founders.

We now have a unique opportunity to repair these bells while they are at ground level and stored at a bell foundry.

The bells are in need of specialist repairs to, among other things, stop the cracks and replace life-expired fixings and attachments, as well as requiring new striking surfaces. All this work will also enable the clock to chime again.

COST

The cost will be in the region of £17,000.

INTRODUCING THE BELLS

The oldest bell dates from 1612 in the time of King James 1. It weighs 7 cwt (355 kg) and is tuned to A. It has a diameter of 34.75 ins and was cast by bell founder Henry Oldfield of Nottingham. In the same year , the building of Bolsover castle was begun and the De Mackworth family were living in Mackworth Castle before it was sold to the Curzon family in 1656. The bell bears the inscription ‘Jhesus bee our speed’.

The heaviest bell, weighing in at 8.5 cwt (431 kg), was cast in 1616. It is tuned to G and is 38.5 ins diameter. this too was cast in Nottingham in the time of James 1. In the wider world this was a time of great nautical exploration. It was also the year in which Henry Cavendish, having inherited Chatsworth, died at Endsor. ‘God save his church’ is the inscription on the bell.

There was nearly fifty years before the casting of the third and final bell. The intervening years were a time of great turmoil with the English Civil War.

In 1662 the 5 cwt (254 kg) bell, tuned to B and measuring 31.5 ins, was cast. This was just two years after Charles II had been restored to the throne and it bears the inscription ‘God save the King’. It was a momentous year for the Church of England as the Book of Common Prayer became the one authorised worship book. It was also a time of change as more than 2,000 clergymen refused to comply with the Act of Uniformity and were expelled from the Church of England.

It was also the year of the first Punch and Judy show in England.

THE TOWER AND SPIRE

There has been a church in Mackworth since the 12th century but the current church dates around the mid 1400's.

At first sight the tower and spire look similar to those of many other churches but it has a couple of unique features. The lower stage of the tower is unusual as it has only arrow slits and cross bow loopholes (rather than windows) possibly for defensive reasons. It has no outside door and a narrow, easy to defend, staircase - but history fails to tell us what the villagers of the past felt they needed to defend themselves from.

Another unusual feature is that on top of the spire: not easy to see from the ground, are four carved life size heads. And of course the tower also holds the clock and is where the three bells are hung.

WHAT IS NEEDED

Prior to the fire, substantial work on the tower was identified in the five yearly architects report. In the same report the repair and refurbishment of the alabaster was also identified but as being more immediate. Consequently the church put its effort and funds into the more urgent project meaning that, although not seriously fire damaged, the tower is still in need of considerable attention. (Any fire damage will be covered by our excellent insurers.)

Work at high level, and on stone is particularly costly and may never be visible from the ground unless something heavy drops off! However, while we have skilled masons on site and some of the necessary scaffolding, it is a good opportunity to address the work.

REPAIRS

Being tall, towers and spires are at the mercy of the weather.

The large proportion of work will involve replacing the worn out or missing mortar that hold the stones in place and replacing weathered or defective or unsafe stones. Vegetation and old nesting material needs removal and netting or mesh needs replacing. The gutters require considerable replacement or repair along with the removal of an asbestos water pipe. The louvres and some other wooden elements need attention.

We will also dismantle and restore the weather-vane and replace the lightning conductor. Extra high level scaffolding is a considerable expense as scaffolding will be cleverly designed so it doesn’t damage the building further. And, of course, all the waste material will need taking away.

The overall tower project will cost in the region of £340,000, towards which we have yet to secure about £200.000, any money raised over the £17,000 target will go towards the Tower and Spire works.

AND SO..........................

This is a massive project on top of the huge amount of work that we have been involved in already. We could easily just say ‘Oh let’s leave it to future generations, we’ve had enough to do!’. However, we feel that having come this far after the fire to make the church safe and usable for the future, we should at least attempt this work. There will not be a better time to do it, and the list of repairs will only grow.

Please help us secure the future of All Saints Mackworth in any way you can. Many thanks.