Cambridge Surprise Major from Romsey Abbey

A very good course of Cambridge on the Beautiful old style 8 at Romsey Abbey.
Thanks to the Bellringers for making me welcome!

The Ringing Room is ENORMOUS!

The Tenor has a very nice boom and can be heard best at 4:30 when I sit on the window sill and point the camera outside. Also note at 4:20 there is a full scale dumbbell which can be connected to Abel if needed.

(8) 22-1-23 in C# Also a full sized training bell and a sanctus. The Bells are housed in an 8 sided bell chamber on top of the tower! click on this link and you will know what I mean

www.yourlocalweb.co.uk/images/user-pictures/142-1273151795-romseyabbey.jpg

1-2 Thomas Mears 1791 6-1-15 (treble) 6-1-21 (second)
3 Mears & Stainbank 8-1-12
4 Thomas Mears 1791 9-1-8
5 Mears & Stainbank 1932 11-3-18
6 Thomas Mears 1791 12-0-12
7 Mears & Stainbank 1932 17-2-20
8 Thomas Mears 1791 22-1-23

The Bells were cast as an 8, in 1791 by Thomas Mears in the key of D Major. Tenor 24-0-8

In 1932, They were flattened the key of Db or C# (same thing!) and bells 3,5,7 were recast. Tenor 23-3-23
In 1976, They were re tuned again but still in the key of Db Tenor 23-1-23
More Recently, in 2007, Whites removed the Cannons of the Tenor come down from 23-1-23 to its current 22-1-23.

These old style bells form a very beautiful ring but are quite heavy round the middle. Plus, they go very well but you have to give the long pulls.

They also sound very good outside! You can here them outside when I look out on to the nave roof.

The Abbey is the largest church in Hampshire and is a member of the Greater Churches Group and is very beautiful.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• M2U00161

[simonbellringer]

Absolutely bloody beautiful!! They sound like a smoother version of Purton (eg at Purton, some like the 7 are slightly out of tune with the others because of difference in dates cast.) I often pass through Romsey on the way from Swindon to Milford-on-Sea (lovely Taylor 8 there too!!) so it is really really good to hear these ringing!! Thanks for posting, and now a must-grab on my list!! :)

[bellminsterboy]

@simonbellringer the tenor booms dosent it !

[simonbellringer]

@bellminsterboy Beautiful bell!!

[bellminsterboy]

@simonbellringer I still have Glasgow to upload!

[simonbellringer]

@bellminsterboy From here too? We are doing Glasgow regularly on practice at St Mark - difficult method, especially 3rds/6ths place bell starts!!

[bellminsterboy]

@simonbellringer yep and with good striking!

[brookwall]

Nice sounding and well struck bells.

[bellboy222]

Good to see that you have uploaded some good ringing recently. Compare this and your Redcliffe stuff to that awful rubbish at Bathwick and you ought to be able to understand! Hope you keep the standards up now!

[timmeh1507]

Oh yes! Very nice.

[simonbellringer]

@bellminsterboy Excellent!! I will try and get St Mark ringing Glasgow with good striking... someday!!