Guildford Cathedral Belfry

[UzumakiNarutoX3]

LOUD!

[EccentricRichard]

What's with the hating of Whitechapel bells? Some of the best bells I've ever had the pleasure of encountering was a set of 1890s Mears & Stainbanks...

[irkibby]

@EccentricRichard Nothing much. It's just Taylors are better!

[EccentricRichard]

@irkibby - I've encountered Taylor bells before and they ain't got nothing on Mears & Stainbank.

[irkibby]

@EccentricRichard

It's understandable you think that, being as you are from the south.

[EccentricRichard]

@irkibby - the Taylor bells I've encountered have generally been unpleasant and clattery and excessively metallic. Mears and Stainbank bells are more mellow and more musical.

[whydoitry123]

@EccentricRichard we have a set of 8 taylors and there beautiful from 1915

[eucle1943]

the caos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bretfrisd]

that's cool it must be so loud in there!

[bhafc1983]

guildford cathederal is an eyesore

[darrowby1972]

Art is in the eye of the viewer, I think Guildford Cathedral is a lesson in less being more, though I do agree, its an aquired taste!

[acorntechnique]

acquired taste?

That's very polite.

Lets not beat about the bush here, nor be overly sympathetic.

Guildford cathedral is an architectural disaster.

It's absolutely hideous and furthermore, occupies a high position atop Stag hill.

I think the architect's message to the world was:

"I design bus stations and car parks. Why did they ask me to do this?"

All slander aside, the bells are truly amazing - the single aspect of this building which is worthy of a positive comment.

[darrowby1972]

@acorntechnique - once again, I`ll say its an aquired taste and your opinion is your opinion alone. Personaly, I think its not ideal either, but there again THATS MY OPINION - capich`e?

[EccentricRichard]

@acorntechnique - no, it ain't pretty. However, it works, especially from the West: it has one of the most striking of all post-Reformation West Fronts. Inside is where it's really good. The spatial handling, the vistas across and along the cathedral... sadly, the architect made sure that the acoustics were as difficult as possible for the organbuilders! All that sound-deadening plaster in the vaulting... and the organ forced into the worst possible position.

[TheHusky9]

that is amazing. It would be scary to stand next to those huge bells though

[wdunklin1]

You've GOT to read Dorothy Sayer's book "The Nine Taylors" which centers around a church tower's bells and yes how they could scare...you...to...death!!!!

[amfalk]

Thanks for making this video. It helps to see what is going on, which for a new ringer is sometimes a little confusing. Hope you wore ear protection, and that you didn't ruin your camera microphone.

[jacqui7007]

Thats ok- Guildford Cathedral are very proud of their bells (quite rightly so) and so whenever they get any visitors they offer them the chance to go up and see them - as it happens I went up with my friend who was a visitor as I've managed to get videos of them before!

[TheHusky9]

for some reason by watching this its horrifying and giving me chills, what on earth?

[matywaldy]

This is the catherdral out of the film(the omen).

[Knappa22]

My, what a din lol!

I can see why the bellringers pull the ropes in a separate room underneath!

[jacqui7007]

Also because it would be a physical impossibility...to do 'change ringing' on tower bells, in the way we've become accustomed, in the same room...

[Knappa22]

Well there's that too, of course!

I love ringing - I can do rounds and some very basic methods (if that's the right word) I'm still a beginner really.

[jacqui7007]

How long have you been ringing then? Don't worry, in a sense we never stop being beginners as there is so much that can be learnt...over time the term 'beginner' becomes somewhat relative to those around you as you progress...!

[Knappa22]

I started ringing in October last year (2007)

It took me about 7 weeks to learn how to control the bell lol! They started me on rounds at the start of December, and I've done some basic changes since then. I don't understand all the terminology yet! The tower has 10 bells, though I've only rung on about 3 so far.

[jacqui7007]

Nice progress, for my young age i've been ringing for an embarrassing amount of time (since about 1997). The Guild i'm in has a fair amount of 10-bells, where abouts is it?

[poetlorryit]

FFSake cant u hold a camera steady?!

[jacqui7007]

Unfortunately thats my style! I'm sorry you don't like it lol!

[effyleven]

Has it STOPPED?

Oh yes.. at last..

Thank Goodness.

[jacqui7007]

haha You didn't like it then?

[ChrissieandDennis]

i am scared to death of bells and am trying to overcome it by watching videos ... this one terrified me!

[jacqui7007]

Whats so scary about it? :-) Just think of a load of metal flying around!

[shippingforecast]

Taylor bells forever

[jacqui7007]

(apart from G'ford cathedral) too right!

[shippingforecast]

What a shame the bells are by Shitecrapple

[jacqui7007]

...but the bells sound beautiful...I rang Cambridge Royal for the 1st time tonight on them! lol

[waltzplayer]

I looked through my pics and vids and I only saw glimpses of bricked up imitations..and the draft came through a missing brick every so often..

[waltzplayer]

i dont remember the louvres although they must have been there..I'll see if I got them on any of my vids from that night

[jacqui7007]

yeah, i didn't think that i remembered any louvres....hang a moo what was that big mass of something (not a bell lol) above which that lovely draft came from?

[SrWilson]

are the louvres here bricked/ boarded up?

good vid anyway I enjoyed it im a ringer too by way so fear not your not the only nerd. :)

[jacqui7007]

ermn....i'm not entirely sure actually....that gives you a good excuse for a visit the cathedral! lol

[irkibby]

Don't like it.

Not really, it's superb too! though it needs more tags so people can actually find it... put " bellringing bells belltower clapper changeringing" and all manner of crap like that in.

[jacqui7007]

Thanks! lol, i was wandering if you were gonna like it! I'll put more tags in to the video thingy like u suggested tho. I just thought people wouldn't necessarily like the videos i create :-)

[irkibby]

there are a fair few ringing nerds who look for ringing vids on youtube, plus curiousnon ringers who search for ringing vids, and then there's the Italians

[jacqui7007]

yeah, i think i can class myself as a ringing nerd.....the extra tags would be for the curious non-ringers and the Italians? lol do you mean the videos with the pathetic random chiming in Venice or the like :-) ?

[irkibby]

There seems to be about 500 videos of the bells ringing in that tower at venice, because it's open to tourists and all the tourists go up with their video cameras and go "gosh how loud" and make videos of them, and put them on youtube despite the fact there's already 499 identical videos.

There are interesting videos of italian towers n here, some rather nice sounding methods of ringing bells too

[mjgriff74]

Another excellent video! Are the bells quite low in the tower, only I can't see the window lourves? I broke my first stay last night! lol It wasn't my fault entirely, it was an old stay that was waiting to go. I'd only done two strokes and it went but I didn't realise that it had broke until I went to stand. I just held it on the balance instead of letting it go, until the tower captain came and rang it down. It was the 8cwt 7th.

[jacqui7007]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video :-). Indeed the bells are quite low but there is also (as shown in the video) an upper level that means you can look down on the bells too.

Breaking stays isn't a pleasure i've had to encounter yet and don't plan to in the near future if i can help it!  What had you just finished ringing?

[irkibby]

I have broken 2 stays - the first one was just like how it happened to you - it was extremely cracked, and just waiting to break

[jacqui7007]

and the 2nd?.....

[irkibby]

I am not sure. I certainly don't remember hitting hitting it at all, and then I set it and it went over. i'll say it was woodworm or something.