The Bells of St Martin in the Cornmarket, Worcester

A ring of bells that puts one in mind of cute, frolicksome little kittens.
The recently created bell installation at "Old St Martins" in Worcester is a good example of conservation of old and a quality modern ring in the same tower.
There has been a church on the site since the middle ages but the present building dates from the second half of the 1700s. The top of the tower was completed in 1780, the wooden frame also dates from this period.
The old six bells had been unringable full circle for quite some time. A project was devised whereby a light ring of ten were installed underneath them.
1:14 The old bells chime the hour.
3:18 A view of the beautiful ornamentation on the tenor cast by Hugh Watts II of Leicester in 1640.
3:50 A look at the oldest bell in the tower and one of the oldest in Worcester, which was possibly cast in about 1320.
The change ringing peal, installed in 2011
1. 2011 John Taylor & Co
2. 2011 John Taylor & Co
3. 2011 John Taylor & Co
4. 2011 John Taylor & Co
5. 2011 John Taylor & Co
6. 2011 John Taylor & Co
7. 2011 John Taylor & Co
8. 2011 John Taylor & Co
9. 2011 John Taylor & Co
10. 2011 John Taylor & Co, (6-2-17 (338kg) in B)
The original ring of six, now sounded by electric hammers:
1. Thomas Rudhall of Gloucester 1780
2. Thomas Mears II of London 1833
3. probably? Michael de Lichfield 1320approx
4. Hugh Watts II of Leicester 1638
5. Hugh Watts II of Leicester 1638
6. Hugh Watts II of Leicester 1640 (13cwt in G)
There is a gantry above the old six, with what appears to be a case for a clock pendulum below it.
The frame for the new ten was made locally.
See oldstmartinsbel... for some excellent information on the tower and bells here, including inscriptions on the old bells.

[@wolfgangsbrother6118]

Those bell puppies, they really have some great sound in them, make sure that those bells keep going

[@fredmills368]

A lot of light tens and twelves I don't normally like but these are top notch!

[@95tupolev]

They aren't even in tune! Not a patch on the Loughborough Bellfoundry bells.

[@adamm2693]

@@95tupolev 🤔

[@fanacloche]

COOL !!!!!! I love little bells !!!!!!

[@fartwell2000]

Fantastic, an excellent sounding light Taylor ten. Ho Ho Ho!

[@FrigioLidioGM]

Fantastic bells😍😍😍😍. Sound very excellent!

[@TheOrganarum]

Bellissime, be' devo dire che queste campane sono davvero piacevoli da sentire

[@TRIPONCODEINE]

so beautiful!

[@c-historia]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

[@jasonburnet9181]

It's interning they have 2 sets of bells!

[@momospot]

BEAUTIFUL BELLS NICE SOUND :)

[@simonbellringer]

Another excellent video. I take my previous comment right back, treble sounds "in" (not out at all!!) here. Nice bells and nice views of the bells & history.

[@SantaRudolph-ef6lv]

What I notice with St Martins bells is that they sound like a higher pitcher version of Worcester cathedrals.

[@irkibby]

@GJChurchward I didn't zoom in. the camera was closer to the bell. Kneeling down on that grillage was bloody painful so i had to change position.

[@timmeh1507]

Spanking! I loved these. There'll be a similar but shorter video on soon. Wish I'd filmed the Erin Caters that went well... annoyed not to have done now!

[@glockengambe]

Sweet...! :)

[@torrenstransitenthusiast6985]

I love bells have you ever filmed the ones in adelaide

[@irkibby]

Thankyou! I've never been to Australia but would love to go there some day

[@benjaminvallejo6695]

@@irkibby if you do try to ring on the heavy bells at the swan bell tower

[@paolop8336]

le campane inglesi sono sempre belle.

[@adamm2693]

It's a shame that as nice as they are their Sunday ringing is only by arrangement! So few Anglo-Catholic churches with regular ringing

[@irkibby]

I imagine they get rung regularly, as Worcester has plenty of ringers. It's just that they probably ring Quarters more often

[@SantaRudolph-ef6lv]

So in the beginning of the video when you were outside those were the bells of St Swithun.

[@FranzFerdinandVIII]

(00:06-00:11) These bells sound like the change ringing bells that are in the tower at the University of Washington (Seattle)! Or were these renovated into the Seattle campus? Thank you so much for sharing these bells! Best regards, Franz Ferdinand

[@irkibby]

Franz Ferdinand the change ringing bells at UoW are also very light and high pitched so it's natural they'll sound very similar

[@irkibby]

@bele92 Grazie.

[@BellringerBen]

Are the old set of bells rung anymore?

[@ringerowen4039]

Only for chimes

[@francescogreenslade7793]

they are electrically struck for the clock chimes

[@tylerwalsh5152]

Ringing for Neep's 3rd birthday

[@tylerwalsh5152]

He's three years old today

[@CammyTheCamera]

does this remind you guys the bells of the University of Washington? they sound kinda familiar, and similar

[@jasonburnet9181]

At the start of the video is that the old 6 being chimed?

[@irkibby]

It's St Swithuns being rung which are about 200 metres away!

[@danielsantoiemma203]

per che con Cannonie non czasiouilno niene mamma para Cantine

[@adamcrane3571]

Hello @@irkibby 2021

[@GJChurchward]

You zoomed in on the letters 'ET' on the old tenor (at about 3:30). What do they stand for?

[@SantaRudolph-ef6lv]

ET from home get it.

[@GJChurchward]

@@SantaRudolph-ef6lv Sorry, my comment was 12 years ago. Convo done, life moved on.

[@SantaRudolph-ef6lv]

So let me guess this correct the bells that chime the hour are the old bells that used to be the church bells for the church.

[@irkibby]

That's right

[@SantaRudolph-ef6lv]

And at the beginning you showed the old bells from the outside of the church then you show the inside of the bells now.

[@ameliaviolet8691]

how did the get installed in that remote spot that is sweet

[@campanaro50]

Musicista97?

[@Cecnorthernohio]

Whats with the bell in one of the windows?

[@irkibby]

Cec Northeast Ohio that's a disused Sanctus bell: a lot of towers had a smaller separate bell that would be chimed to announce the raising of the host during the service

[@Cecnorthernohio]

irkibby oh. Isnt that like that one bell in coventry cathedral (the one that wasnt ringing in the tower video)

[@irkibby]

Cec Northeast Ohio not quite, as that one was part of the set when they were a chime. Historically these sanctus bells are much smaller and don't fit in anywhere with the change ringing bells

[@nikospodas6201]

at the beggining you can hear st swithuns bells a ring of 6

[@RingerJamie]

00:11

[@irkibby]

?

[@RingerJamie]

@@irkibby hahah yes sorry I was trying to get the right time stamp to do back 6 but forgot to delete it sorry haha!

[@GJChurchward]

OK. But still - what does ET mean?

[@britainluver431]

It is part of a Latin inscription "Deo Gloriam et Gratias Sono Berkeley 1640 (MDCXL) which means "Glory to God, and thanks resound? Berkeley 1640." I believe Berkeley was where the bell was cast by Hugh II Watts.

[@dhtelevision]

The extra terrestrial

[@jasonburnet9181]

I ment interesting

[@pikusoldier1232]

4:52 i i... i don't get it

[@irkibby]

Adrian James Paul Cabrera Change ringing involves ringing the bells up so they're upside down, in rounds in a group. They also need to be rung down too and the end of that process is what is at 4.52

[@pikusoldier1232]

Old Bells Cannot swing around they just be banged by eletric hammer.

[@danielsantoiemma203]

Canto Cane

[@fanacloche]

COOL !!!!!! I love little bells !!!!!!

[@fanacloche]

COOL !!!!!! I love little bells !!!!!!

[@fanacloche]

COOL !!!!!! I love little bells !!!!!!