Page 40 - Phonebox Magazine May 2011

Hillier Hill LIMITED
Sales, Service & Restoration
We have over 30 years’ experience
specialising in all Rolls-Royce and Bentley models from the 1930’s to current Crewe built V8 models.
Service Dept: 9.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Thursday 9.00am to 1.00pm Friday
Sales - viewing by appointment
Tel: Ray Hillier on 01234 714268 Mobile: 07851 396698
See our website for current stock list
www.hillierhill.com
Rolls-Royce factory trained engineers. Free collection and delivery in Herts, Beds, Bucks & Northants
Hillier Hill Ltd
Tel: 01234 713871
Fax: 01234 713917
Unit 18, Stilebrook Road Yardley Road Industrial Estate Olney, Bucks MK46 5EA
Olney Parish Church Bells Renewal and Enhancement Project
This monTh i want to summarise the work that was undertaken to achieve the recent extensive project on the bells. The works comprised augmenting the existing eight bells to a ring of ten, retuning and rehanging them with all new fittings in a new steel
winches to ground level for transportation to Whites of Appleton, the bell hangers. The removal of bells from the tower happened during the week beginning 18th August so the preparations alone took a full 2 months’ hard work and the picture shows them loaded
onto the flatbed lorry ready to leave.
The massive old wooden oak frame could then be dismantled but not before it had been dated by dendrochronology to 1626. A section was preserved, as described last month, and the rest removed and lowered for disposal. new steel foundation beams were then fixed to the internal stonework to
support the new steel bell frame.
on 12th september, 2008 two new bells were cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, witnessed by the
sponsors and some of the working group. They stayed at Whitechapel to be tuned with the rest of the bells once they have been prepared.
meanwhile, at Whites of Appleton, preparation works started with the removal of the headstocks. These are the large assemblies across the crown (top) of the bell which are a vital component in turning the bells
for ringing. Unfortunately, their removal showed that the largest four bells had a large number of old bolt holes in their crowns and it was recommended that they should be sent to specialists to have the holes filled with weld. That was extra work which was very expensive because of the size of the bells and the time it took to pre-heat them to welding temperature. so additional funding was required.
This was really an essential extra as bells only require removing from the tower about once a century so an extra effort was made and the money found so work continued but this “extra” caused some delay to the scheme
frame. That was the simple aim of the project but it was not quite as easy as that!
Work started on 21st June 2008 when the contractors moved in to start the preparation phase: trap doors between the bells (then hanging in the belfry above the level of the church clock) and the floor of the church had to be opened up. next three beams were installed above the bells to bear the weight of the bells, the frame etc so that they could be lowered by means of chains, pulleys and
40 Phonebox Magazine