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LyndenleaBristol Branch
Bristol (Christ Church with St Ewen)
Name or Dedication: Christ Church with St Ewen
Location: Bristol, Gloucestershire
Grid Reference: ST589731
The present church was completed in 1790, replacing a Medieval building, and to celebrate the ring of eight bells transferred from the previous tower was augmented to ten with the addition of two new trebles. In 1883 the west front of the church was adorned with a heavy ironwork clock by Henry Williams upon which two Quarter Jacks chime a ting-tang. The Quarter Jacks date from 1728 and survive from the previous church, although the bells they strike (listed as Quarter #1 and Quarter #2 in the "Additional Bells" table below) were recast in 1912. The smaller of the two bells is on the left-hand (northern) side of the clock.
The Sanctus bell was originally one of two that hung in the 60-foot high tower of St Ewen (ST588730), the smallest church in Bristol, which stood on the opposite side of Broad Street to Christ Church. Its parish was united with that of Christ Church in 1790, and in 1820 the church was demolished to make way for what is now the Old Council House. The bell in question was later transferred to the Wesleyan Methodist Portland Chapel, Kingsdown (ST585738) and hung in a bell turret at the west end of the roof. When Portland Chapel was demolished for housing in 1970 the bell was moved to the Victoria Methodist Church, Clifton (ST578734). Latterly, it was stored in a crate at Bristol Industrial Museum (ST585722) before returning (almost) home to Christ Church in 1995.
The Service and Hour bells were transferred from the church of St Thomas, Northwick (ST559867), of which only the tower remains standing in its churchyard. The site is maintained as a monument by Pilning & Severn Beach Parish Council.
Bells hung for full-circle ringing
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Note | Founder | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5¼ cwt | 29½ in | G | William Bilbie | 1789 |
| 2 | 5½ cwt | 29 in | F | William Bilbie | 1789 |
| 3 | 5½ cwt | 29½ in | Eb | Abraham Rudhall I | 1716 |
| 4 | 5½ cwt | 30 in | D | Abraham Rudhall I | 1716 |
| 5 | 5 cwt | 32 in | C | Abraham Rudhall I | 1716 |
| 6 | 7 cwt | 34½ in | Bb | Abraham Rudhall I | 1716 |
| 7 | 8¾ cwt | 37½ in | Ab | Abraham Rudhall I | 1716 |
| 8 | 9¾ cwt | 39¼ in | G | Abraham Rudhall I | 1716 |
| 9 | 12¾ cwt | 42½ in | F | Abraham Rudhall I | 1716 |
| 10 | 20 cwt | 48¾ in | Eb | Abraham Rudhall I | 1716 |
Additional bells
| Bell | Weight | Diameter | Note | Founder | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanctus | 15 in | Abraham Rudhall I | 1698 | ||
| Service | 1¼ cwt | 16½ in | Evan Evans I | 1713 | |
| Quarter #1 | 2-1-04 | 20 in | Mears & Stainbank | 1912 | |
| Quarter #2 | 3-0-11 | 24¾ in | Mears & Stainbank | 1912 | |
| Hour | 7 cwt | 32½ in | Evan Evans I | 1713 |
Source: Bell data from Dove's Guide. Further information from George Dawson, The Ringing World 4372 (page 140), and ChurchCrawler (Phil M. Draper).
Where the exact weight of a bell is known, it is given in the traditional way using the British imperial units of Hundredweight, Quarters and Pounds (cwt-qtr-lb) in which there are 28 pounds in a quarter, four quarters in a hundredweight, and 20 hundredweight in a ton (one hundredweight is equal to approximately 50.8 kilograms). However, if only an approximate or calculated weight is known, it is given to the nearest quarter of a hundredweight.
A bell's diameter is measured across its mouth (open end) at the widest point and is given in inches (to the nearest quarter of an inch), one inch being equal to approximately 2.54 centimetres.