The six-bell frame in its original location - 1995
The project started on a much smaller scale. For a GCSE Technology project, I built a scale wooden bell tower with a ring of eight bells. An electronic circuit controlled electro-solenoids which struck a tune on the bells every hour. This was in 1995 and the tenor weighed a mere 7 ounces!
Having a free summer ahead of me, I thought of ways to expand on this idea and in the end decided to start from scratch with a much bigger plan. Over the next few weeks a substantial six-bell frame was constructed which would take a tenor of up to 1'3" in diameter. To imagine this frame filled with bells of this size seemed near-impossible at the time as there was nowhere in the house that would take the weight of swinging bells of this size.
The frame was dismantled and rebuilt in the main loft of the house. In 1996 a bell of 11" was cast by Taylors of Loughborough to be the tenor of a future six. This bell was hung on a timber headstock in the third pit but never had a pulley box or rope fitted. Events that year were to take a turn in favour of a more exciting project.
The old tenor in the third pit - 1996
The main part of the house has a large loft space in which the frame was placed. To the east of the house a single story part was built and this formed one half of a double garage, the other half being in the main part of the house. Above the single storey part is a small loft space. It was decided to convert the double garage into two rooms and a new garage built away from the house. This would leave one of the new rooms with the loft space above it and a suitable location for the frame. After consultation with a structural engineer, it was decided that, with some reinforcement, the frame could be placed in the loft space and also made strong enough to hold bells with a tenor of 1'3" as originally planned.
In 1997 the building work took place and the project started to take a more definitive shape. The steel sub-structure for the frame was built and the frame reconstructed and bolted to it. Over the following weeks the rooms were decorated and insulated to the same standard as the rest of the house. All that remained was for the bells to be installed.
The installed sub-frame.
At this point Len Porter became a partner in this project. With his assistance and support, the project gathered momentum and the end was in sight. An order was placed with Taylors of Loughborough for a new ring of bells. The old bell was returned to the foundry in part exchange. In August 1997 the new bells were collected from Loughborough and brought to Wheatley.
The new ring of six bells.
Over the next three years they were hung. Fittings were made, tried, tested and modified until we were happy with them. At the time I was employed by Whites of Appleton Church Bellhangers and I am very grateful to Brian White and Graham Clifton for allowing me the use of the workshops and machinery to make many of the fittings in my spare time. The wheels took many months to make but by the beginning of 2000 the bells were ready to ring. The sound and go of the bells surpassed all our hopes and even before they were officially opened plans were being made to augment them to eight.
The completed ring of six bells.
On 4th May 2000 the new ring of six bells was officially opened by Brian White. There were forty guests present and the evening consisted of ringing, merry-making and much beer! In the subsequent weeks the first quarter and peal were scored. After a few months thoughts once again turned to augmentation.
Having taken a careful look at the practicalities it was decided to stick at eight rather than ten as would have been preferred. Whilst there is room for at least twelve bells in the belfry, the rope circle downstairs would not comfortably accommodate more than eight ringers. When I have a larger house of my own some day in the future, this may present the opportunity for augmentation to ten with the addition of a new treble and tenor.
The original frame was enlarged on the north side by adding two more pits. The original treble and second pits were effectively rotated ninety degrees to improve and enlarge the rope circle. Taylors cast the two new trebles in 2001 and exactly two years after the opening of the six, Simon Edwards declared the ring of eight open.
The new trebles in the "up" position.