Cambridge Surprise Major at St Lawrence Jewry, C London

The Lilliputters Guild ringing half a course of Cambridge S Major on this fine 1957 Whitechapel eight as part of our Christmas Outing (Thursday 28th December 2023).

The church, sited opposite the Guildhall, is a classic Wren design, replacing a previous building lost in the Great Fire of 1666. The original six bells were cast in 1679 by James Bartlett of Whitechapel, and augmented to eight by Phelps (also Whitechapel) in 1710 - although the treble had to be recast in 1775. Following a rehang in 1930 however, the bells (tenor 30-1-22 in C#) were destroyed just ten years later, on 29th December 1940, when a bomb hit the church.

The replacement ring were cast by Mears & Stainbank of Whitechapel in 1957, and are one of, if not the, finest sounding eight in London (belying the vibe of the sparse ringing chamber!). The bells sound particularly special on the staircase (where I head to at around 2:30, just in time to milk the rollups). They handle well enough, although a long draught (including a sizeable middle chamber) means the front bells can be a little flighty.

Our visit was the last ringing on the bells ahead of some refurbishment work due to be undertaken in early 2024, when the clappers will be rebushed, the frame repainted, and new lighting installed, under the stewardship of Steeplekeeper Euan. I shall look forward to visiting again in the future and sampling these improvements for myself.

Tenor 24-3-2 in Eflat

https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/16020