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LyndenleaBristol Rural Branch
Almondsbury (St Mary the Virgin)
Name or Dedication: St Mary the Virgin
Location: Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
Grid Reference: ST603841
The founder and date of the third and fourth bells of this ring are not known, but both were probably cast at the same time as the second, by Richard Purdue II & William Purdue III in 1652. An entry in an early Parish Register says that the tenor was broken by ringing in 1573, and was recast several times before 1601. The first bells in this tower might therefore have been of a similar age to this original tenor.
The bells were recast into a new ring of six by Abel Rudhall in 1743. Augmented to eight with the addition of two trebles (also by Abel Rudhall) in 1751, these bells now comprise the present ring.
Bells previously hung for full-circle ringing
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Note | Founder | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 cwt | 36 in | A | Roger Purdue II & William Covant | 1676 |
| 2 | 11 cwt | 39 in | G | Richard Purdue II & William Purdue III | 1652 |
| 3 | 12 cwt | 42½ in | F# | ||
| 4 | 16 cwt | 46 in | E | ||
| 5 | 22 cwt | 51 in | D | William Purdue II & Richard Purdue I | 1601 |
Source: An old document in Almondsbury Ringing Room. Further information from "A Brief Guide to the Church" (Parochial Church Council, 2002).
Where the exact weight of a bell is known, it is given in the traditional way using the British imperial units of Hundredweight, Quarters and Pounds (cwt-qtr-lb) in which there are 28 pounds in a quarter, four quarters in a hundredweight, and 20 hundredweight in a ton (one hundredweight is equal to approximately 50.8 kilograms). However, if only an approximate or calculated weight is known, it is given to the nearest quarter of a hundredweight.
A bell's diameter is measured across its mouth (open end) at the widest point and is given in inches (to the nearest quarter of an inch), one inch being equal to approximately 2.54 centimetres.