Articles

Ansty, St James, Warwickshire
	Bells:	4; 4¾cwt in D UNRINGABLE
	Grid Reference:	140/400837
	Postcode:	CV7 9HZ
	District:	Coventry
	Peals:	None
	Practice Night:	None
	Contact:	Living Vacant

History

If you expect to find a ring of 8 here - turn round and go to Anstey in Leicestershire! Just off J3 of the M6 this is a small spired church that is visible from the nearby M69. The bells are unringable and have been for some time.

The tower and spire date from 1856, but the bells were installed when the rest of the church was restored by Scott in 1875-6. The bells were donated by Lady Adams of Ansty Hall, which is now a hotel. They hang in two-tier wooden frame, with treble and third above. Frame and fittings by Warner 1876.

The bells were inspected by John Greenhough and Jonathan Hughes on 31/3/03 and they report: "We spent this morning up there, intending to repair/replace wheels. We rang up the lower bells (2,4): very little frame movement. However upper tier moves excessively even with treble alone, and would be difficult to stablise unless built into walls (it stands on posts rising from the belfry floor). In addition, the rod up the centre of the spire is fastened very clumsily to a girder using about 8" of scaffold pole as a big washer, because the thread is too far down the rod for it to be fastened on the underside the girder. This girder is just clear of the top bells, but the end of the rod isn't and fouls the lip of the 3rd. So, we reluctantly had to give up!" I understand the work to shorten the "washer" has been put in hand.

The church has recently, at its instigation, had a report into the current state of the bells from the Bells Maintenance Committee of the Coventry DG. It confirms unringability and recommends profession guidance be obtained.