The Bells of Kempsey, Worcestershire

The village of Kempsey has a long history, it’s name being derived from the Saxon ‘Kemys’ Eye’’, or the island of Kemys. Kemys was a Saxon chief, whose island lay between the marshes and the river Severn.

St Mary’s church was built between the 12th and the 15th centuries. Archaeological finds place a settlement in the village in the Bronze and Iron Age. The Romans built a fort in Kempsey to protect the river crossing, with probably a vicus outside for Roman families.
Bosul the first Bishop of Worcester, in 680, founded a small religious community in Kempsey. The small wooden church was destroyed by the Danes, as was its replacement in 868. A priest in Kempsey is mentioned in the Domesday Book. During the time of Bishop John (1151-58), the existing church was enlarged to house the Bishop’s household and several Royal visitors.

The present church developed from an aisles cruciform building of the 12th century. The chancel was rebuilt about 1250, when the east window of five lancets was inserted, one of the finest examples of the Early English style in Worcestershire.
Around 1300 the nave was reconstructed and expanded by the addition of aisles and arcades. A new lofty chancel arch was built in 1863. In 1315 a chantry was built to the Virgin Mary in the South transept. Closed down by the Puritans it was rededicated in 1956. In 1968 the South transept chapel was dedicated to St Andrew.

The tower holds a ring of eight bells, hung in an anticlockwise rope circle. The bells themselves work well together and have a very 'big and country' style sound to them. The church is located in down a quiet street off the side of the residential area.

Originally, there were six bells, however in 2012 they were augmented to sight by John Taylor & Co. Unusually, the other bells were not rehung in a clockwise rope circle so they remain as they were originally. The two new bells blend in well with the mainly 1686 cast back bells (tenor 1821 by Thomas II Mears) and they form a lovely ring of eight.

The ringing (inside) was rung on Saturday 11th September 2021, by the Sussex Young Ringers team and chaperones, while attending The Ringing World National Youth Contest in Worcester. It features part of a plain course of Stedman Triples. The outside footage was recorded later in the morning and rung by a different young ringers bands.

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