S Giles Aintree is unusual for churches built in more recent times, in that it is equipped with a ‘carillon’ or ‘chime’ of eight bells. Modern churches tend to have only one bell, if they have any at all.

The Aintree bells were the gift of Sam Bleasdale and were cast in 1956. They were first heard officially during the service of consecration when the bells were blessed by the Bishop. They have been rung regularly ever since.

The bells were cast by the world-renowned firm of bell founders, John Taylor & Company of Loughborough, Leicestershire. This firm was responsible for casting the bells of S Paul’s Cathedral in 1881. They had also cast the single bell for S Peter’s Church, Aintree, in 1876. Other, more local, Taylor bells can be found at S Mary’s Walton, Our Lady & S Nicholas on Liverpool’s Pier Head and Ormskirk Parish Church. In 1945 the firm also added two additional bells to the historic peal of six at Sefton Church.

S Giles' bells do not swing like those of a conventional peal. Instead, they are fixed, rigid, in a steel frame level with the upper row of circular windows at the top of the tower. It is the clappers or striking hammers which move, rather than the bells themselves. Technically, bells such as these are described as being “hung dead” as a fixed “chime”. Their sound remains very powerful, nevertheless, and they can be heard from some distance.

 

 

The eight bells at S Giles comprise an octave in B flat major. The largest bell, number 8 – known as the tenor – weighs approximately a third of a ton, or 6 cwt, 2 qrs, 4 lbs, to be precise. The combined weight of the bells is approximately 1½ imperial tons.

The simple control manual located at the base of the tower is known as an “Ellacombe chiming apparatus” after the Revd. Ellacombe of Devon, who invented the system in the nineteenth century. The eight ropes correspond to the eight bells in the chamber above.

A smart tug on the rubber grip of the rope causes its corresponding bell to sound loudly up in the tower. The ropes ascend to the bell-chamber through small holes in the ceiling. They are then drawn over pulleys to hammers which strike the individual bells. Because the ropes form a compact line at the base of the tower, the system allows one person to sound all eight bells in simple melodies or in traditional patterns such as 12345678 or 13572468. These are known as Rounds and Queens, respectively.

S Giles' bells underwent minor refurbishment in Summer 1998 when new ropes were fitted, the pulleys refurbished and new return-springs fitted to the clappers of the four smallest bells. The work was carried out by volunteer members of The Merseyside Bell Restoration Group. www.angelfire.com/co2/bellsmerseyside/bell.html

Details of the bells are as follows (The weights of bells 1 to 7 are approximate):

 

                        Bell                        Diameter                Weight in cwt-qrs-lbs             Note

                      Treble                         18¾"                                 1-2-0                              Bb

                        2nd                            19½"                                 1-3-0                               A

                        3rd                             21½ "                                2-2-0                               G

                        4th                             23½"                                 3-0-0                               F  

                        5th                             25½"                                 3-2-0                              Eb

                        6th                             27"                                    4-0-0                               D

                        7th                             30"                                    5-0-0                               C

                     Tenor                           33"                                    6-2-4                               Bb

 

 

All the bells are inscribed around their ‘shoulders’ as follows: JOHN TAYLOR & CO. * FOUNDERS * LOUGHBOROUGH * 1956.

 

 

Additionally, the tenor bell (number 8) is inscribed around its ‘waist’ as follows: ‘THIS CHIME OF EIGHT BELLS WAS PRESENTED BY SAM BLEASDALE’

 

We are extremely grateful to Mr Bryan J. McCahey for supplying this information for us.