The Parish Church of
Saint Mary and All Saints, Whalley
Whalley Bells: Maintenance
July 2022
Repair of the tenor bell clapper which had broken inside the crown staple hinge. This was found during a bell survey conducted by Simon Adams of Taylors Bell Foundry as part of the bell centenary bell refurbishment project. The clapper was removed and sent back to Taylors for repair which also included hinge re-bushing. The shaft was also turned down to make the clapper less susceptible to "ringing up wrong" where the clapper comes to rest on the wrong side of the bell when it is in the upright position.
Broken crown staple
Repaired clapper
January 2022
Replacement of the 5th bell bearings due to rough running. Work done over two days with three volunteer helpers under the supervision of Matthew Warburton of Lancashire Clockmakers. The wheel was removed and the bell wedged up on blocks to allow the bearings to be removed and replaced.
New bearings fitted in their housings
August 2018
The bell frame was in a poor state with significant rust on many of the frame parts. Lancashire Clockmakers were engaged to scrape the frame and fittings free of rust, apply rust inhibiter, primer and a coat of red gloss paint. The frame should be in good condition for many years. Many thanks to Matthew Warburton of Lancashire Clockmakers and his team for all their hard work. Watch the speeded up video clip to show the frame painting in action.