Bell Ringing at Peterborough Cathedral, Cambridgeshire

Call changes on 12 and some Bristol Major on the back eight, rung by The Lilliputters Guild as part of our AGM Day on Saturday, 16th March 2024.

Peterborough Cathedral is a magnificent building, regarded as one of the finest Norman structures in the UK. A monastery was foundedon the site in 655AD, on the bank of the River Nene, likely of wood but later rebuilt in stone; this was subjected to at least two attacks by the Danish, in 870 and 1070. It was around this latter period that the name Peterborough (or Burgh St Peter) emerged, displacing the Saxon Medehamstede (“the home/farmstead in the water meadows”). In 1116, much of the monastery and surrounding town burnt down, likely caused by an unattended fire in a local bakery. The present Cathedral structure, built to replace it, was begun in 1118. Much of the Anglo-Saxon chronicle, an important source of early medieval history, was written at Peterborough Abbey around this time. The impressive wooden nave ceiling, the only one of its kind in the UK, was built in 1218, and the Abbey was elevated to Cathedral status in 1541, under King Henry VIII’s radical reforms. Peterborough Cathedral is also the resting place of two Tudor Queens; Katherine of Aragon (first wife to King Henry VIII) and Mary, Queen of Scots. It is well worth a visit,

The Cathedral bells likewise have a long and fascinating history. There were at least 4 bells present in 1539, although one was probably a Sanctus bell. In 1709, Henry Penn, a local bellfounder (and nephew of Henry Bagley, another well-known bellfounder from Ecton, Northants) was contracted to cast a new ten for the Cathedral, with a tenor of some 35cwt in D. In 1831, however, the front five were sold, and the 9th (which became the 4th) recast by William Dobson of Downham Market. These bells were rehung in a new cast-iron frame by Taylors in 1898, when their canons were removed. However, a big five like this would never have been practical, and they fell into unringability in 1919 when concerns were raised about the stability of the tower for such a heavy ring.

In 1984, the church of St John the Divine, Leicester closed. This tower contained a ring of ten bells cast by Taylor’s of Loughborough, the first in the city to be cast to Canon Simpson’s 5-tone harmonic principles. The original eight were cast in 1902, replacing an old ring of five bells; they were augmented in 1928. John Pladdys informs me that, when in Leicester, the bells were virtually ungettable (for peals, at least) until the church’s closure was announced, at which point they were miraculously available almost anytime! The old ringing chamber is now a kitchen for one of the flats!

After a couple of years in storage at Taylors, whilst the necessary funds were raised, the Divine bells were transferred to Peterborough in 1986, and hung in the 1889 Taylor frame. They were augmented to 12 (plus a 2#), interestingly by Whitechapel (not Taylors!), with these new bells hanging in a cast-iron frame extension. They handle very smoothly, and are absolutely crystal-clear inside.

As for the old five, the fine-sounding tenor (which came out as 27cwt on the weighing scales, rather than the reputed 35cwt!) remains as the bourdon bell, striking the hours and ringing as the five-minute bell before services. The front three were purchased by a group of Americans, who intended to use the heaviest of these as the Pittsburgh City Bell; sadly, this never came to fruition, and as far as I can ascertain, these bells remain in storage. The old 4th was transferred and is now the tenor at Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth, Devon

Tenor 21-1-20 in E.

https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/16247


Further Reading and Sources:
A History of Peterborough Cathedral: https://www.peterborough-cathedral.or...

Henry Penn the Bellfounder: https://www.pennhenry.co.uk/

Information on the original Cathedral bells: https://inventory.pdg.org.uk/Peterbor...

A recording of the old Divine bells, and an interview with Leicester ringer Sidney Harrison, may be found on Lewis Benfield’s channel:
   • Bells of Leicestershire St John The Divine...