low harrogate St Mary SE 295548
History
Built in 1824-5 and heavily refurbished in the 1890s (pictured above). This church proved to be too small and a new church was built, designed by Walter Tapper, on a nearby site in 1915/16 (pictured below). However there have been structural problems associated with this church for many years - there is much evidence of severe surface erosion of the stonework.
Bells
A chime of eight bells recast from the former ring - structural reasons are said to be the reason for installing a chime in the new church rather than a ringing peal.
| Bell | Founder | Date | Cwt-Qtr-Lb | Diameter | Note |
| 1 | John Taylor of Loughborough | 1916 | 2-1-13 | 23" | F |
| 2 | John Taylor of Loughborough | 1916 | 2-3-25 | 24.25" | E |
| 3 | John Taylor of Loughborough | 1916 | 4-0-9 | 27.5" | D |
| 4 | John Taylor of Loughborough | 1916 | 5-1-14 | 30.75" | C |
| 5 | John Taylor of Loughborough | 1916 | 7-1-8 | 33.5" | B flat |
| 6 | John Taylor of Loughborough | 1916 | 8-2-18 | 36.5" | A |
| 7 | John Taylor of Loughborough | 1916 | 11-2-19 | 40" | G |
| 8 | John Taylor of Loughborough | 1916 | 16-3-0 | 45" | F |
Old Bells
In the old church there was a peal of eight hung for full-circle ringing. Details of the old bells follow. The 7th was the original church bell - the 1866 bells were the gift of James England, Ironmonger and the augmentation to eight was funded by a subscription organised by Mrs James Courtney Haigh.
One peal was rung on these bells on 10th April 1902 of Kent TB Major - this was the only peal to be rung in Harrogate until the installation of the eight at St Peter's in 1963 - and its details are recorded on a glass peal tablet now sadly broken into five pieces. One might suppose that this peal was something of an achievement; "Perseverance is crowned with success" reads the head of the peal tablet which also gives the tenor weight as 15cwt.
| Bell | Founder | Date | Cwt-Qtr-Lb | Diameter | Note |
| 1 | Mears and Stainbank | 1891 | 4-0-9 | 26.25" | G |
| 2 | Mears and Stainbank | 1891 | 4-1-17 | 26.5" | F# |
| 3 | Mears and Stainbank | 1866 | 4-3-17 | 28.5" | E |
| 4 | Mears and Stainbank | 1866 | 5-1-17 | 30.25" | D |
| 5 | Mears and Stainbank | 1866 | 6-2-0 | 32.5" | C |
| 6 | Mears and Stainbank | 1866 | 7-2-9 | 34" | B |
| 7 | Thomas Mears II | 1824 | 9-3-9 | 38" | A |
| 8 | Mears and Stainbank | 1866 | 12-3-10 | 41.75" | G |
Inscriptions on the new bells
1 IB: (Bell and Pomegranate Border)
Waist: 19 [TAYLOR LOUGHBORO]
15
2 IB: (Bell and Pomegranate Border)
Waist: 19 [TAYLOR LOUGHBORO]
15
3 IB: (Bell and Pomegranate Border)
Waist: 19 (TAYLOR LOUGHBORO)
15
4 IB: (Bell and Pomegranate Border)
Waist: 19 (TAYLOR LOUGHBORO)
15
5 IB: (Floral Border)
Waist: 19 (TAYLOR LOUGHBORO)
15
6 IB: (Floral Border)
Waist: 19 (TAYLOR LOUGHBORO)
15
7 IB: (Floral Border)
Waist: 19 (JOHN AND DENISON
TAYLOR LOUGHBOROUGH) 15
8 IB: (Floral Border)
Waist: 19 (JOHN AND DENISON
TAYLOR LOUGHBOROUGH) 15
Frame and Fittings
The bells hang in a spacious two tier wooden frame with bells 1-5 on top and 6-8 below on the North side of the 20' square bell chamber. They have internal ringing clappers with eyes in the flight which are connected to wires. The transmission is via clock style elbows to a baton clavier in the room below. In addition bells 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8 have clock hammers and bell 5 has a clock hammer attached to a thin rope for operation from the ground floor of the church.
Clock
In the chiming chamber there is a three train flat bed clock by Potts of Leeds in 1916. The chimes are the Cambridge Quarters and there is a night silencing device.
Church Hall
A single small bell hung for swing chiming is hung on the East gable of the nearby church hall. It has a steel lever mounted vertically but no rope and no clapper!
| Bell | Founder | Date | Cwt-Qtr-Lb | Diameter | Note |
| 1 | c10" |
Sources
ARA visited August 2003.
David Cawley - email correspondence.
Yorkshire The West Riding - Nikolas Pevsner and Enid Ratcliffe [2nd edition]
Francis Frith's Around Harrogate - Clive Hardy