1300\u2019s – <\/strong>The tower was built. c. 1350-1780<\/strong> 1709 <\/strong>A clock was installed. 1729\u00a0<\/strong> A sundial is installed. 1780<\/strong> Six bells were installed. Change ringing developed from the mid-1600\u2019s \u2013 the first book, Stedman\u2019s \u201cTintinnalogia\u201d was published in 1668. The arrival of these bells would have been the first opportunity for change ringing in Kildwick.<\/em><\/p>\n 1828\u00a0<\/strong> The clock face was restored \u201cby public subscription\u201d. 1867<\/strong> A new clock was installed. 1889<\/strong> The six Whitechapel bells were rehung 1901-3<\/strong> Intense work in church. 1914<\/strong> A new ring of bells by Taylor\u2019s of Loughborough. 1987<\/strong> The bells were refurbished 2024-<\/strong>\u00a0 …\u00a0 The final chapter in the story brings us to today. The bells are becoming worn where the clapper hits, partly caused by the loose clappers scrubbing across the surface of the bell. The clappers were refurbished as a matter of urgency and, on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, an appeal was launched to fund the quarter-turning of the bells, refurbishment of the bearings and various other repairs.<\/p>\n Watch this space for more (and head over to our Refurbishment<\/a> pages!)<\/p>\n A Tower Timeline 1300\u2019s – The tower was built. The west end of the church was built between c. 1300 and 1350 by Robert de Styveton. It is reasonable to suppose that at least one bell was installed – as … Continue reading
\nThe west end of the church was built between c. 1300 and 1350 by Robert de Styveton.
\nIt is reasonable to suppose that at least one bell was installed – as this would be one significant reason for building a tower.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe bell (or bells) would have been rung to signify the beginning of a service. As the church was part of the abbey at Bolton (until the Dissolution of the Monasteries), the clergy may have followed the monastic Canonical Hours: Matins (nighttime), Lauds (early morning), Prime (first hour of daylight), Terce (third hour), Sext (noon), None (ninth hour), Vespers (sunset evening), Compline (end of the day). These would be used by the village to mark out the day\u2019s work and rest.
\nAt some stage during this time, the west window was created. It is probable that the \u201cIsaiah\u201d corbel above the door was found as part of the rubble fill of the wall.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThis clock had an external dial \u2013 fairly early for one of these. It was the gift of W. Currer of Steeton and still exists, restored by public subscription in 1826.
\nWas this the first clock in the tower? This is quite possible. <\/em>
\nEarly pendulum clocks started around 1656, leading to a significant increase in precision, from about 15 minutes per day to 15 seconds per day. Up to this time, a variety of systems would be used (our current sundial on the south wall of the church was a later addition). Until a clock was installed, it needed a sexton to ring the bell manually.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nIt is interesting to speculate why William Currer\u2019s son Haworth paid for a sundial on the south wall of the church.\u00a0 Is this a reflection on the accuracy of Kildwick’s new clock?<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThey were cast in Whitechapel by Lester and Pack.\u00a0 The clock was connected to the bells to chime (at least) the hour.\u00a0\u00a0 It is known that there were by then three bells in the tower. One source suggests one of these was retained, but others state that all of the bells were cast together. They may have used the metal from the old bells.
\nThe three old bells are said to have been \u201crung from the ground floor\u201d. Again, it is a good guess that, as part of this new installation, a floor was put in to shorten the length of rope needed to ring them. This will have involved cutting the doorway in the staircase.<\/p>\n
\nIs this a hint that the old clock was updated at the same time? Was any other work done then? Possibly not because…<\/p>\n
\nThis was the work of fairly prolific local clock maker, William Cryer. He was based (I think) in Bingley and has clocks in Burnsall, Carleton and Haworth; to name just three. This is the clock that\u2019s still ticking today and will have been built to accommodate the existing clock face. It was made to chime the hours and quarters on the six bells \u2013 and it does it to a very distinct \u201ctune\u201d. (I hesitate to claim uniqueness but I have spoken to no one who has heard it elsewhere)<\/em>.\u00a0 Was this chime pattern installed with the new clock or was it copied from the chimes of its predecessor?<\/p>\n
\nThe work was done by W. Brown and J Butterfield. There\u2019s little detail about just what they did but, after 100 years, they were probably overdue for some work!
\n\u201cRehanging\u201d sometimes implies that a new frame was built. Equally, it may have involved just new bearings.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe whole of the East end of church was falling down and the whole section was virtually rebuilt. The part of the job that particularly affects the tower was the installation of central heating. The boiler was placed in the cellar under the current ringing room floor, which had to be raised to create enough headroom. Signs of this work can be seen: the steps down into church, the blocked-off bottom (?two?) steps of the stairway and the chopped-off West door where the threshold was raised.
\nThis may be the moment when the ringing chamber floor was removed and the ringers reverted to the ground floor. What is certain is that this move came before the installation of the new bells in 1914. This is shown by the old guides for six ropes that are still in place, supporting the newer adaptation for eight ropes.<\/p>\n
\nThe work was well under way by the time war was declared on 28 July but was not completed until 17 October. The old ring of six were taken down to Loughborough. Their inscriptions were carefully copied before they were broken up and melted down to create the new, bigger ring of eight. Bells 2-7 carry a facsimile of the old inscriptions.
\nThe clock chimes were reconnected to the back six bells and the chiming apparatus devised in 1821 by Reverend Henry Ellacombe was installed.
\nThough the bells were installed in the year that Taylor\u2019s started to use roller bearings, ours were still on plain bearings in \u201ccastle top\u201d housings designed by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, the first President of the Central Council. The stays were fairly innovative. \u201cHastings stays\u201d were designed to cope with the spilled grease and oil associated with plain bearings. They are a neat invention but require precise measurement when replacement is needed.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThere is a small display of photos showing the work in the ringing chamber. The old plain bearings were replaced with rollers and the oil can relegated to a niche in the wall, where it still sits.<\/p>\nSome material from John Taylor Bellfoundry archives (Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust)<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"