# The hidden side of St Peter's Church, Kinver, West Mids, April '09



## boxfrenzy (Apr 16, 2009)

Look two, treble's going, she's gone...
Something a bit different, a building nine hundred years old. We're here today to see the hidden and unseen side of St. Peter's Church, high above the Staffordshire village of Kinver.






Come on, don't forget to close the lychgate behind you.





We're going up the ancient sandstone tower, up the tight, twisting staircase.





First stop, the ringing chamber, moved up here from the ground floor at the turn of this century. There was no room here before.





The bells are "down" at the moment, and the bellropes are tied up, out of the way. The fluffy, brightly coloured bit is called the sally.





Next floor up, the clock room.





Not much in here. Some tools, the clock mechanism and the bell ropes.





And a very old ladder.





The clock mechanism. The large notched wheel on the left is the hour hand, the small single hand is the minute hand. In the last ten years the clock is now automated; before it needed to be wound by hand once a week. Big picture so I don't have to type out the history.





Let's wind our way up the stairs until we get to the belfry, shall we? Poor pictures as nowhere to put a tripod i'm afraid.





There are eight bells here, rehung in April 2000. The original six were cast in 1746 at Gloucester, with the two lightest ones being added in 1920 after being cast in London. 





The 12cwt tenor, tuned to F# was the last to be recast in 1999 at Loughborough. The inscription reads "Joy, recast for the third millennim of our Lord 1999"





"We were rehung in 1920 when Peace and Goodwill joined our chime" That refers to the treble and the second bell, the two lightest bells.





You can see the bell ropes, tied onto the bell wheels here. At the moment, the bells are down. When they are up, they are balanced upside down. The wheels spin, and the bells with them.





Enough of that, next stop, the top of the tower. Don't be expecting a fantastic cityscape, as we are in the country here. 





Below, Kinver High Street winds its way parallel with the River Stour. 





The clock strikes 10.30 and we leave for a well deserved beer.




Stand.​


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## CHEWY (Apr 16, 2009)

Great stuff Monsieur Box..

i enjoyed that


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## Pip (Apr 16, 2009)

Nice interesting report, with some great photos too  I loved the clock mechanism.


Thank you
Pip


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## Black Shuck (Apr 17, 2009)

Its an excellent post. The belfry and clock mechanism are wonderful.


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## Foxylady (Apr 17, 2009)

That's wonderful! Great to see the hidden workings. 
Love the photos and the 'campanologist's write-up'.


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