THE YORKSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF CHANGE RINGERS

SCARBOROUGH AND DISTRICT BRANCH

HELMSLEY ~ All Saints ~ 8 bells ~ 15-0-00

Sunday Ringing: 0845

Practice: Monday 1900

Contact: Alex Magson, 2 Ashwood Close, Helmsley, York YO62 5HW - phone 01439 770412 - amagson AT tiscali DOT co.uk

All Saints Church, Helmsley, part 12^th century and part Victorian, has many interesting features, notably Norman arches in the chancel and the porch.

Others are the late Victorian wall paintings, beautiful stained glass windows, the Robert Thompson built altar and other furnishings all bearing the marks of the adze and the mouse trademark, an unusual font cover and an 11^th century hogsback tombstone in the porch.

The tower houses eight bells by Taylor’s that replaced the 1770 Pack and Chapman ring.

In the late 1970’s ringing had to cease due to the crudely-erected oak frame becoming loose and threatening the tower fabric. In the 1980’s, after taking advice from the Church Architect and the Diocesan Bells Adviser who found the bells to be in very poor condition, it was decided to launch an appeal to restore the tower, have the bells recast and hung on a steel frame. The appeal was highly successful and raised around £100,000. In November 1987 the 1770 bells were removed to Taylor’s at Loughborough where they were melted down and the bell-metal was used to cast seven new bells. An additional bell was purchased from Naburn Hospital, taken to Loughborough to be tuned, and became the 7^th of the new ring of eight. The new bells were rung for the first time on Sunday, 1^st May 1988.

Visitors are always made to feel welcome at Helmsley for Sunday morning ringing and practice on Monday evenings.