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St Nicholas' Church, Piddington


Bells


Bell

Picture
Treble
Picture
Second
Picture
Third
Picture
Fourth
Picture
Tenor

Inscription

THE GIFT OF MRS. CHARLES BROWN /
JUBILEE 1887 / REV. THOMAS IVENS VICAR / LLEWELINS & JAMES / BRISTOL
 




THE GIFT OF MRS. CHARLES BROWN /
JUBILEE 1887 / F.WHITE & SONS BELLHANGERS APPLETON / THOMAS BROWN / THOMAS MAY CHURCHWARDENS / LLEWELINS & JAMES / BRISTOL




THIS BELL WAS RECAST AND THE WHOLE PEAL [sic] REHUNG / AT THE EXPENSE OF MRS. CHARLES BROWN / IN THE JUBILEE YEAR OF QUEEN VICTORIA / 1887 /  LLEWELINS & JAMES / BRISTOL





BENEDICTA SIT SANCTA TRITITAS (Fig P5 six times) / JOHN WALKER, JOHN LOWE, CHURCHWARDENS, 1738. ED: HEMINS FECIT (Fig N9)






WILLIAM : SHAW : JOHN, HONOR. CHURCH WARDENS (Fig P5 four times) / EDWARD : HEMINS, BISSITER, FECIT 1738 (Fig P5 six times)

Approximate weight (cwt)

4








4.5








5









6









8
The three smallest bells were cast at the Bristol foundry; the two largest at the Bicester foundry. The treble and second were added to the ring in 1887. You can read more about the Bicester bell foundry here.

The bells hang in a sixteenth-century type frame, originally made with pits for four bells. Although there were only three bells in the tower before 1887 the frame had contained four at some time. The gear, type C, is by Messrs. F. White and Sons, who added one additional pit to the frame.

Picture
Bellframe wheel, top view
Picture
Bellframe wheel, corner view
The predecessor of the third, which before 1887 was the treble of the old ring of three bells, was cast at the Drayton Parslow foundry, and, like the former bells at Launton, bore the date 1701.*

6 Edw. VI states: Item 3 smale belles in the steple. Item a scantis [sic] bell and 2 hand belles.

Visited: F.S., 1923–1951

__________________________________________________________________
*Note by the Rev. T. A. Turner, circa 1880. Walters' MS., Society of Antiquaries Library.

Source

Sharpe, F. (1954) The Church Bells of Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire Record Society.

 

Listen to the bells

To hear the bells of St Nicholas, Piddington, being rung, go to the 'Piddington on Film' page, where there are several videos.

The Piddington Bellringers

We are very lucky to have working bells.  The bells are rung regularly and for significant events, but sadly we lost our Tower Captain in 2023.  It would be a shame not to hear them sound out so, if you think you might like to try bellringing, why not give it a go?
 
For further information please contact the Churchwarden at: [email protected]

Below are some photos of the Piddington bellringing team.
Picture
The Piddington bellringing team, June 2016 (left to right): Chris Taylor, Wendy Taylor, Morwen Ashton, Tony Pearce (captain), Cheryl Coggins, Pam Newell and Rachel Pennington.
Picture
The Piddington bellringing team, June 2017 (left to right): Chris Taylor, Morwen Ashton, Pam Newell, Cheryl Coggins, Rachel Pennington and Tony Pearce (captain).
Picture
Ringing for Remembrance, 11 November 2018. Photo: Maggie Pearce
Picture
Piddington Bellringers rang three half muffled bells and observed one minute's silence in honour of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, St. Nicholas Church, Piddington, Oxfordshire, 17th April 2021. (L to R): Cheryl Coggins, Phil Jones, Morwen Ashton (captain). Photo: Tiz Ashton
Picture
Remembrance Day, 14 November 2021. (L to R) Shirley Grant, Cheryl Coggins, Phil Jones and Morwen Ashton (captain)
Picture
Piddington Bellringers rang all five bells for the Coronation of King Charles III, 6 May 2023, St. Nicholas Church, Piddington, Oxfordshire, 6 May 2023. Photo: Mike Ashton
Picture
Piddington Bellringers rang muffled bells and observed two minutes silence to mark the Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, St. Nicholas Church, Piddington, Oxfordshire, 19 September 2022. (L to R) Cheryl Coggins, Morwen Ashton, Shirley Grant and Phil Jones. Photo: Tiz Ashton

World War I aeroplane propeller

The ‘cross-like’ memorial in the belfry (in the background in the photo above) is actually a cut down WW1 aeroplane propeller, dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant Richard Stone (known as Stoney to his friends). Lieutenant Stone was killed in action in France on the 9th August 1918. He was 19 years old. Read more about Lieutenant Richard Stone here.
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  • Home
  • What's on
    • Forthcoming events
    • Regular activities
  • Village life
    • Book Group
    • Community-Led Plan
    • Craft & Social Club
    • Defibrillator
    • Noticeboard
    • Piddington on film
    • Widnell Park/Jubilee Reserve/Playing Field >
      • Background
      • Updates
      • Archive
    • Wild Piddington
  • St Nicholas' Church
    • Services
    • News and events
    • Brief history
    • Architecture
    • Features of interest
    • Bells
    • Churchyard
    • Maintenance and repairs
    • Donations
    • Sources
    • Archive
  • Village Hall
    • News
    • Events >
      • Archive
    • Hall Facilities
    • Hiring the Hall
    • Bookings Calendar
    • Management Team >
      • PVHMC Minutes >
        • PVHMC minutes archive
    • Children's Play Area
    • Support Piddington Village Hall
    • 200 Club
    • Maintenance & development
  • Parish Council
    • Parish Councillors
    • Meetings / Minutes
    • Parish Council Noticeboard
    • Information centre
    • Accounts
  • History
    • Domesday Book entry
    • The manor of Piddington
    • Church and chapels
    • Social and economic history
    • Piddington People >
      • Elizabeth Bottrell
      • John Drinkwater
      • William Dumbleton
      • Lt Richard Stone
      • Thomas Pitt Cholmondeley Tapper
    • Piddington voices
    • Close to the Brook
  • Gallery
    • Older photos
    • Newer photos
  • Links
  • News and events
  • Archive
    • The Pantry
    • Piddington apples >
      • Piddington Apple Day
      • The Cider Alchemists' journal
    • Piddington Community Radio - archive page