HISTORY
The tower as modified by the Normans was certainly designed to house bells, though nothing precise is known of them prior to 1770 when a new ring of six bells was cast for the church by Thomas Bilbie of Cullompton. The fourth bell of this ring of six was recast by Thomas Mears of Whitechapel in 1843. This bell carries the somewhat poignant inscription "O Sea Spare Me", perhaps a reference to the severe erosion of the foreshore and cliffs near the church. In 1911 the bells where completely rehung in a new oak frame and augmented to eight by Warner & Co. of London. In 1953 the whole ring of eight were recast by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough and rehung in the old 1911 frame, the bells being dedicated by the Bishop of Sherborne on 16th September 1953.
In 1988 the ring was augmented to ten with the addition of two smaller bells cast at The Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Most unusually the frame for these two bells was designed and constructed and the bells hung by members of the local band of ringers. The services of a Sea King helicopter from RNAS Culdrose were gratefully accepted for the job of lifting the two bells onto the tower roof ready for lowering into their new frame. The ten bells are widely known for their quality and ringers come from all over the country and beyond to ring them. In 1995 the longest peal of Surprise Royal ever attempted on Church bells anywhere in the world was rung at Lyme, consisting of 20,000 changes and taking almost twelve hours to ring. The same band rang throughout without any outside assistance or breaks of any kind, thus making the peal a real feat of endurance.
In 1988 the ring was augmented to ten with the addition of two smaller bells cast at The Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Most unusually the frame for these two bells was designed and constructed and the bells hung by members of the local band of ringers. The services of a Sea King helicopter from RNAS Culdrose were gratefully accepted for the job of lifting the two bells onto the tower roof ready for lowering into their new frame. The ten bells are widely known for their quality and ringers come from all over the country and beyond to ring them. In 1995 the longest peal of Surprise Royal ever attempted on Church bells anywhere in the world was rung at Lyme, consisting of 20,000 changes and taking almost twelve hours to ring. The same band rang throughout without any outside assistance or breaks of any kind, thus making the peal a real feat of endurance.
The present ringers meet every Thursday evening at 7.30pm - 9pm to practice, and the bells are also rung regularly on a Sunday morning at 9.15 am before the 10.00am service. Beginners and visitors are most welcome to attend.
For further information please contact Linda Nicholson on 01297 445865 or
email l[email protected]
For further information please contact Linda Nicholson on 01297 445865 or
email l[email protected]
THE BELLS
BELL NAME NOTE WEIGHT
Treble Roger B 3-1-13
Second Stedman A 3-2-2
Third Anthony G 3-3-8
Fourth Edwin F# 4-0-11
Fifth George E 4-1-13
Sixth Carew D 4-3-6
Seventh Cuthbert C 5-0-3
Eighth Michael A 6-0-1
Ninth Elizabeth B 7-1-23
Tenor John G 10-3-18
Treble Roger B 3-1-13
Second Stedman A 3-2-2
Third Anthony G 3-3-8
Fourth Edwin F# 4-0-11
Fifth George E 4-1-13
Sixth Carew D 4-3-6
Seventh Cuthbert C 5-0-3
Eighth Michael A 6-0-1
Ninth Elizabeth B 7-1-23
Tenor John G 10-3-18
