The Tower of St Mary's Church
Ringing on Practice Night
The Tenor Bell
The Cleobury Mortimer Bellringers ring in the tower of Saint Mary’s Church and are members of the Hereford Diocesan Guild of Bellringers in the Bridgnorth District. We practice on Tuesdays from 7pm, where new ringers are always welcome!, and regularly ring for Sunday Church services from 9am. We also ring for Wedding and Funeral services as well as peals and quarter peals for other events.
Recent News
This years annual outing on 28th July took the Cleobury ringers to west Shropshire with rings at Pontesbury, Worthen, Forden, Montgomery, Chirbury and Bishops Castle, including two successful quarter peals. A fun time was had by all before the band retired for a well deserved meal and drink at The Crown.
- A quarter peal of 1260 changes St. Nicholas was rung on Wednesday 9th December for Cleobury’s Christmas Carol Concert.
- On 8th November the bellringers rang a half-muffled quarter peal of 1260 Grandsire Doubles for Remembrance Sunday.
- Before the bellringers AGM, on 29th October, a quarter peal of 1320 Kent Surprise Minor was rung.
- A first quarter peal with an all local band of 1260 Stedman Doubles was rung on 25th June.
- A quarter peal of 1260 Plain Bob Doubles was rung on 9th June. This was the first quarter at the first attempt for Diane.
- On 21st May, in celebration of Ascension Day, a quarter peal of 1260 Doubles was rung, consisting 240 of Reverse Canterbury, Southrepps, Kennington and Plain Bob each and 300 of Grandsire.
The 250th anniversary of the re-casting of the bells was celebrated in 2007, including a peal of 5040 Doubles in 5 methods rung on the 8th December.
Tower History
The tower itself dates back to the late Norman period (c. 1160), although the spire itself is a later addition, and today houses a peal of six bells. The current peal of bells was re-cast in 1757 by Abel Rudhall of Gloucester (the date of the first casting is unknown). The ringing chamber also houses a pendulum clock dating back to 1772 which remains in operation and chimes the hour to this day.
The inscriptions, weights and pitches of the six bells are as follows:
- Hark to our Melody. AR. 1757. (5.5cwt D#) [Treble]
- Abel Rudhall cast us all, 1757. (6cwt C#)
- Peace and good neighbourhood, A.R. (7cwt B)
- J. Atwood, Vicar, 1757. (6cwt A#)
- Richard Dorset, Will Oseland, Ch. War, A.R., 1757 (9.75cwt G#)
- I to the Church the living call and to the grave do summon all. (13cwt F#) [Tenor]
The Ringers
Our local band is as follows:
- George Castledine
- Matthew Duley
- David Eve
- Brian Gadd (Record Keeper)
- Chris Kippin (steeple Keeper)
- Heather Kippin
- Alec Osbaldiston (Tower Captain)
- Margaret Osbaldiston
- Alison Price
- Ryland Robertshaw (Treasurer)
- Diane Waddington
- Chris Walker
- Liz Walker (Tower Vice-Captain)
- Ray Wilson (Clock Keeper)
Useful Links
Hereford Diocesan Guild of Bellringers
Central Council of Church Bellringers
Tower Captain: Alec Osbaldiston, Threshers Barn, Angel Bank, Bitterley
- Tel. 01584 891351 or e-mail aosbaldiston [at] aol.com