Call Changes at Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan

The Lilliputters Guild ringing call changes on this fine tonne eight, as part of our 2023 Summer Tour (back in Welsh Wales).

The church was built in 1894, replacing an older building. The bells were cast by Taylors the previous year, in 1893, pending the opening of the new building; funds were raised through a campaign instigated by Sir William Thomas Lewis. The treble was (presumably) recast three years later, in 1896. In 1986, the bells came under threat of being sold for scrap (a valuation of around £3,700 at the time); fortuitously, following local efforts, they were not only saved, but rehung on ball bearings a short while later.

The bells, tuned to the key of F, are quite heavy for their note - a characteristic Taylor feature from this period! They were also only the second ring to be tuned by Taylors to the Simpson principle (after Norton, Sheffield). Aside from some oddstruckness - the tenor in particular - they handle very smoothly and sound excellent (especially where 6-7 are, underneath the trapdoor). They also sound lovely outside - but you'll have to wait for the main Tour video to find out 😜

Tenor 20-0-15 in F

https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/12405