Yorkshire Surprise Major at Shildon, Durham

An extract from a peal followed by some of the lower on this fantastic 8, cast by Taylors in 1902 – the very definition of a Ho Ho Ho!

A railway town, with its works opening in 1833 and serving the Stockton & Darlington Railway, Shildon expanded quickly and greatly during the 19th century. The church was largely rebuilt and extended in the 1880s, and the tower dates from 1900. The bells were installed two years later, and are just what you'd expect from a Taylor peal of this vintage – they sound fabulous, albeit rather on the heavy end for a ring in F#. They were more recently overhauled and rehung on ball-bearings, also by Taylors, in 2019, so handle very smoothly. This clip was taken in the first 15 minutes of the peal; as you may have guessed from the peal speed (2hr53), we sped up substantially, and, once settled, enjoyed some super ringing. One I would be very keen to re-visit at some point, these are a must for anyone visiting – a hidden gem!

Tenor 16-1-8 in F#

https://northeastbells.co.uk/shildon/