Last week the Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Sudhakar Achwal and the Lady Mayoress Councillor Vivian Achwal, visited St John The Baptist Church Winchester, to attend a ceremony for the unveiling of the Elizabethan church clock, dating from 1559. Although once housed in the tower, below the bells, it ceased functioning around a century ago and had been stored out of view in the City museum. Recently parishioners raised the money to restore the clock and put the mechanism on view in the nave of St John’s. It can be demonstrated working but only for an hour or so at a time, as the mechanism is too delicate for it to run continuously.
The tower at St John’s still houses a peal of five bells dating from 1460 to 1654, one is cracked and they have not been rung regularly together in living memory. However, the Mayor was interested to learn of a new project to install a ring of eight bells in the now vacant clock room, masterminded by the Winchester Cathedral ringers. He came and visited their practice on 17th September to find out more.
After scaling the staircases and navigating across the narrow clerestory, high above the south transept, the Mayor and Lady Mayoress were welcomed into the huge Cathedral ringing chamber. They watched and listened to the ringing during the evening and even had an impromptu lesson. They visited the bells and also the Cathedral clock – itself an ancient timepiece – not as old as the Elizabethan clock in St John’s but fully functional and accurate. The Mayor expressed his sentiments:
“It was a privilege for us both to try the dumb bells ourselves, gaining a little sense of the rhythm and discipline involved. And to stand in that chamber and hear the tolling bells resound above was a moving and unforgettable experience — a sound that connects us not only to the Cathedral, but to centuries of history and shared life.”
The Cathedral has a peal of fourteen bells, plus two extra semi-tone bells, more than any other Cathedral in the United Kingdom. However, there are no other ringable peals of bells in churches in the City itself, where trainee bellringers can learn.
Similar cities such as Worcester, Norwich and Cambridge have established training centres, and the Cathedral band are working with them on a proposal for St John’s to follow suit and become a venue for regular courses on ringing tower bells and tune-ringing on handbells for Winchester and the surrounding area.
“I am delighted to hear that the group may soon have the dedicated space at St John’s for training and practice that they require, so that this living tradition can continue to flourish for generations to come.” Said Mayor Sudhakar Achwal.
St John’s historic bells will be left in situ for people to view, and the proposals include installing an adjustable volume control system, so that practice and training sessions on the new bells do not disturb the neighbours.
The ringers particularly want to engage with young people and families, and plan to work with local schools, holding regular open days and taster sessions.
If you would like to find out more, do contact Jill Fuller at info@winchesterbells.org or visit our website www.winchesterbells.fun
See video footage of the visit: https://youtu.be/j-gSpE1bW6A
Councillor Sudhakar is the 826th Mayor of Winchester. The Mayoralty of Winchester dates back to 1200.
