Bell Ringing at St John's
Think about joining us…..Bell ringing involves coordination and a sense of rhythm, it is fun, sociable and good for mind and body. Our band consists of people of all ages, from 10 years upwards. We are from all walks of life and you do not need to be members of the church congregation, many of our ringing band are not.
As well as ringing the bells at St John’s we are able to ring the bells at other churches, usually including a pub lunch…... Some of us have even rung at Guildford Cathedral!
The most imposing feature of Merrow’s skyline is the wooden shingle-clad steeple of St John’s Church, rising some 12 metres above the bell tower at the west end of the building. Many local residents will be familiar with the sound of its bells, ringing for Sunday morning services and Tuesday evening practices, or will have glanced up at the clock while waiting in slow-moving traffic on Epsom Road. What you may not know is that the tower houses a remarkable collection of Victorian machinery, still in excellent working order and very much part of daily Merrow life.
This includes the original 1843 two train cage turret clock with anchor recoil escapement, made by Thwaites & Reed. This requires weekly manual winding of the pendulum, and hourly chime weight mechanisms. The tower is also home to the present peal of six bells, commissioned in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Funded by parishioners’ subscriptions, these bells replaced an earlier ring of three 16th and 17th century bells which had fallen into disrepair. The heaviest tenor bell weighs in at 680 kg and the lightest treble bell at 290 kg. A fragment of the oldest original bell, bearing the founder’s mark from 1616, is preserved in the bell tower.
In 2007 a new band of bell ringers was formed at St John’s. Since then, the band has evolved and progressed with support from the Leatherhead District of which we are a part.
Why not take on a new challenge and enjoy the social side as well? You might also be interested in the history and bell maintenance. For more information, please contact our Tower Captain Jane, 07765 620017 or jane.farquharson@saintjohns.org.uk.
A Quick history of the Merrow Bells.
Merrow’s original bells were made by Richard Eldridge, a bell founder at Wokingham and Chertsey from 1593 to 1622. The present ring of six bells were given by the parishioners to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, replacing original bells dating from as early as the 16th century.
Renovation, repairs & fund raising
The bells were re-hung in a new frame and refurbished with metal headstocks in 1977 and renovated in 2010 again in 2016, including replacement of the ropes. Most recently, essential ringing room refurbishment, together external and internal sound attenuation work was carried out in 2020 around the COVID restrictions. The cost of this work was £11,000, £3,500 was provided from the ringing guild Bell Restoration Fund, and the remaining £7,500 funded from the Parish and Friends.
The Ringing Room contains the bell ropes with their brightly coloured sallies, and a set of handbells. It also houses the clock, which was built into the north wall in 1843, and has given remarkable service ever since. A single striking hammer strikes on the tenor bell on the hour only. The hammer was originally fixed to the treble bell, which proved too weak in sound to be heard far away.
On the west wall is a plaque stating that the bells were re-hung in 1946 to remember Seaton George Legge Eustace, Churchwarden 1929-44, and to thank God that in his latter years his household suffered no harm from the attacks of the enemy.
St John’s bells range in weight from the treble (bell 1) - the lightest with the highest note - to the tenor (bell 6) - the heaviest at over 13 cwt. The bell founder was Mears & Stainbank.
