What has five churches with seven towers, 40 bells plus 10 handbells, 16 ringers plus friends and family, three dogs and one Bagpuss? That’s right – Bradford on Avon’s 2023 outing!
On the morning of Saturday 7th October Bradford on Avon ringers set off to visit the Swindon area for our annual tower outing. The sun came out and thankfully stayed out for the rest of the day.
We assembled first at St Mary’s, Purton. This was the first of two churches on our itinerary that had a tower at one end and a spire at the other – apparently there are only three churches like this in England! Purton’s western tower contains a 20cwt ring of eight on which we kicked off the day’s ringing in fine style, including rounds and call changes, Plain Bob Triples, Grandsire Triples, Stedman Triples and Cambridge Major. Many of us also took the time before leaving to have a look inside the church to view its interesting interior, including fragments of medieval wall paintings which have been preserved.
Next on the list was St Michael’s, Highworth. Another enjoyable ring of eight, this time being 18cwt in weight and cast by a mixture of different founders, the most recent addition having been sourced from the Keltek trust. Here we rang call changes, Grandsire Triples, Stedman Triples and Bob Triples.
Then it was on to Shrivenham, with their fine 13cwt ring of 10. We enjoyed some very respectable ringing on all 10 here, including rounds and call changes, Plain Hunt, Grandsire Caters and Little Bob Royal. For some of our ringers it was the first time they’d rung on 10, which added to the occasion.
Lunch was a short walk from the tower to the Prince of Wales – very much a ringer-friendly pub – where we were made most welcome. As has become the custom over the years on Bradford’s outings, we brought the handbells out once we’d finished our meals. It is pleasing to report that the landlord complimented us on our efforts, which was more than could be said for the clientèle in last year’s lunchtime hostelry (we’ll say no more about that, what happens on tour stays on tour – ha ha!)
After lunch we headed off to St Andrew’s, Wanborough; the second church of the day in possession of both a tower and a central spire. Before entry, female members of the band were requested to remove their pattens. We later found out that pattens are an early form of platform shoes!
The tower houses an 18cwt ring of eight and is the home of a most interesting ringing chamber table, having been assembled from the inscription bands from the pre-1949 peal of bells. We rang Grandsire Triples, Plain Bob Triples, Yorkshire Major, Rounds and call changes and Stedman Triples here.
All Saints, Liddington was our final tower. This neatly rounded off the day with an interesting contrast to Purton and Wanborough: where they have two towers but one ring of bells, Liddington has one tower with two rings of bells! We rang on the new 8cwt ring of six, cast in 2016 by Taylors and hung below an un-ringable, anti-clockwise ring of five that date back to 1663. Here we rang rounds and call changes, Bob Minor, Grandsire Doubles, Cambridge Minor and London Minor.
Before heading off home we assembled outside for our tour photo, with Bagpuss our mascot taking pride of place at the front.
All-in-all, a thoroughly enjoyable day of good ringing, good fun and good friendship – what more could we ask for!
Thanks must go to the tower correspondents who let us in, let us ring their bells and who all made us feel very welcome; to David Godwin for organising the tour and for selecting such good towers and to Colin Field for organising the pub lunch and for his excellent table waiting skills! Oh, and to Max the dog for not trying to eat Bagpuss this year!
Sarah Quintin
