The Tower
The Bells
Clearing The Tower And Protecting It
Restoring The Bells
The tower was added in around 1215, most probably by the nuns of Elstow, and has an early 13th century serrated ornament on the E side of the tower arch
The saddle back tower roof dates from the 19th century restoration
There is an inscription in the tower as part of earlier remodelling work
The tower is 45' high and was formerly embattled.
The Bells
In 1458 Alicia Terry, widow of John Terry, of Westbury, left, by Will, 20 shillings to the 'new bells' of Westbury church
The tenor bell, c. 1590, was made by William Watts of Bedford
The treble and second were both made by Henry Bagley of Chacombe in 1711, the former recast in 1898 by J Warner of London
The sanctus bell was cast in the 14th century and is listed as one of the oldest bells in Buckinghamshire
The Tenor and Sanctus bells are listed in the Church Buildings Council "Schedule of Bells for Preservation" in the Oxford Diocese
The bell frame is of oak and dates from the C19th. It is tall and of a typical low-sided long-headed design consisting of full-length upper and lower cills with pairs of opposing diagonal braces between
The three larger bells swing side-by-side in an east-west direction with the Treble to the north, the 2nd to the south and the Tenor in the centre. A gap to the west of the frame allows access to the bell chamber and contains the Sanctus bell in a simple single cill frame in the south-west corner.
In 1847 there were 5 bells and a clock (see the recessed square on the exterior south wall of the tower). The clock has vanished and only 3 bells remain
There is a legend that 2 of the bells were stolen and taken to Mixbury!
Clearing The Tower And Protecting It
The tower was in a terrible state with open louvres and birds entering for many years. The pictures below say it all!
We managed to get grant funding and had the bird waste removed and protective grilles installed
The full story is here
Putting the bells back into working condition will be a major (and expensive) project. This would cost £30,687.60 based on a recent survey and we are now fund raising to restore
There are 3 ways you can help:
- If you are able to donate, please click here or on the Parish Giving icon below
- Another way is to join our Friends organisation (FOStA) who support the fabric of the church through events and campaigns
- And then a FREE way to help our fabric is by generating cashback each time you shop online including at places like Amazon, Tesco and 7,500 other shops. Click here or on the Easyfundraising picture below
Thank you so much for considering
