The Bells of Great Bardfield, Essex

The church of St Mary the Virgin in Great Bardfield holds a ring of eight bells. The treble and 2nd were cast in 1928 by John Taylor & Co, with the 3rd having been cast in 1889 by John Taylor & Co. The 4th in 1602 by Miles I Graye, the same time as the tenor. The 5th in 1847 by Charles & George Mears, the 6th and 7th in 1889 by John Taylor & Co at the same time as the 3rd. The bells are hung in a two tier frame, with the 3rd and 4th hung on a top fame made in 1928, at the time of the augmentation from six to eight. The bottom six bell frame was made in 1889, both by John Taylor & Co, and both made of composite materials. The most recent work on the bells was in 2016, by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, when the installation was overhauled. This was one of the last jobs to have been undertaken by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry prior to their closure in 2017. The bells are rung from a ground floor ringing chamber, and are very easy to ring and strike. Especially once ‪@theobellringer6211‬ worked out how to ring Stedman correctly! Recorded during our spring tour to Essex in 2024. 8 bells, 15cwt in F#.