THE YORKSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF CHANGE RINGERS

SCARBOROUGH AND DISTRICT BRANCH

SCARBOROUGH ~ St Mary ~ 10 bells ~ 20-1-16

Sunday Ringing: 0845

Practice: Wednesday 1915

Contact: Sandra Gledhill, 2  Palace Hill , Eastborough , Scarborough  , YO11  1NL  .  Phone No 07711 648201  . email -    sandra AT sandragledhill DOT wanadoo.co.uk

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1. Approach from Old Town.  Castle Hill in the background.

2. St Mary's tower from the north east gate.  The tower was originally in the centre of the church.

3. From the belfry door (ok Vaughan, looking round the corner from!), towards Paradise, on a chilly morning - South Bay, Cayton Bay and Filey Brig in the distance.  Remains of original east end on left.

4. Bill Dent, treble ringer extraordinaire, recently celebrating his birthday

5. From Castle Hill (courtesy Chris Gooch)

6. Edwin and Yvonne King with mementos of Edwin's 40 years as Tower Captain

The Church

St Mary's is on Castle Road, beneath the castle on the headland between the town’s two bays.  The church is now only about half of its original size, the eastern end being demolished by cannon fire from the castle during the Civil War.

Visitors are welcomed into the church most days between 10am and 4pm where plans, drawings and a more detailed history can be seen. Parking, for a small charge, is available in the adjacent meadow where the grave of Anne Bronte is situated, and light refreshments are served in the church itself.

The Bells 

The Tenor and the treble of the proposed eight were cast and entered into the Great Exhibition of 1852, the year in which 2 to 7 were cast, and all were hung later in the year with the treble in a separate frame over the Tenor.

A hundred years later, the bells were removed for servicing by Gillette and Johnston’s and were re-hung on one level on their return.

The ring was augmented to ten by Taylor’s in 1979, supposedly using the treble bells from local Christ Church which was closed that year. A new frame for 2 to 6 was built and the original treble frame dismantled and placed in Taylor’s museum at their Loughborough foundry.

2003 saw a major overhaul and maintenance programme at a cost of some £7500. Amongst many tasks, new gudgeons were required for 3 and 6, six new clappers were fitted (the others being fully refurbished) and new ropes purchased.

Ringing and Ringers

There is ringing every Sunday, usually with the help of ringers from other bands in the area.

Methods rung on a fairly regular basis include Plain Bob (Doubles to Royal), Grandsire (Doubles to Caters), Reverse Canterbury, Little Bob and Kent TB Minor, Erin and many Doubles methods and variations.

Learners are always needed and made welcome, as indeed are visitors.