WELLINGTON, OLD ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
The ex tenor bell. Cast 1866.
Old St Paul's is the predecessor of the current cathedral which replaced it in 1964, although it has never been de-consecrated. It is here that the first set of change ringing bells in New Zealand were hung.
In 1866, three bells (with a tenor weighing roughly 5cwt) were ordered from the firm of John Warner & Sons in Cripplegate, London, for the cost of 148 pounds. They rang for the first time on the 31st of March 1867. It was reported at the time that while not the largest in number, it would have been very emotional for a lot of people, as they hadn't heard multiple bells ringing at once since coming to New Zealand. Unfortunately, they didn't ring together for very long. By 1916, the bells were no longer being rung full circle as the mechanism was reported to be "broken", and it was believed the small, wooden tower was not able to take the force of all three bells ringing. Then in 1940, the tenor bell cracked - which is suspected to be due to the bells being "clocked" instead of rung full circle, which is very detrimental to the bell. It was sent to a Wellington engineering firm, and then lost. The other two remained in the tower right up until the opening of the new cathedral in 1964, when they were transferred to the top of the unfinished bell tower. They remained there until 1981 when they were melted down at the Loughborough Bellfoundry in England and included in the metal of 6 new bells for the cathedral. So what became of the third bell? Well, due to incredible luck, it was found, of all places, in a church in Khandallah, just a few kilometres outside of Wellington city in 1990. After being forgotten about by the local engineering firm, it was sent to a school in the Wairarapa, and then to St Barnabas' Church in Khandallah, which paid for it to be repaired and hung for chiming, although a big piece of the lip broke off during it's time there. It was finally retrieved and again repaired in 1997, before being displayed at Wellington Museum of City and Sea. It remains there to this day.
In 1866, three bells (with a tenor weighing roughly 5cwt) were ordered from the firm of John Warner & Sons in Cripplegate, London, for the cost of 148 pounds. They rang for the first time on the 31st of March 1867. It was reported at the time that while not the largest in number, it would have been very emotional for a lot of people, as they hadn't heard multiple bells ringing at once since coming to New Zealand. Unfortunately, they didn't ring together for very long. By 1916, the bells were no longer being rung full circle as the mechanism was reported to be "broken", and it was believed the small, wooden tower was not able to take the force of all three bells ringing. Then in 1940, the tenor bell cracked - which is suspected to be due to the bells being "clocked" instead of rung full circle, which is very detrimental to the bell. It was sent to a Wellington engineering firm, and then lost. The other two remained in the tower right up until the opening of the new cathedral in 1964, when they were transferred to the top of the unfinished bell tower. They remained there until 1981 when they were melted down at the Loughborough Bellfoundry in England and included in the metal of 6 new bells for the cathedral. So what became of the third bell? Well, due to incredible luck, it was found, of all places, in a church in Khandallah, just a few kilometres outside of Wellington city in 1990. After being forgotten about by the local engineering firm, it was sent to a school in the Wairarapa, and then to St Barnabas' Church in Khandallah, which paid for it to be repaired and hung for chiming, although a big piece of the lip broke off during it's time there. It was finally retrieved and again repaired in 1997, before being displayed at Wellington Museum of City and Sea. It remains there to this day.
The broken bell mechanism in 1979.
Photo: Peter Shepperd
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The mould for one of the new bells.
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After the empty belfry and broken mechanism had been discovered, the Government (who had since taken over ownership of the church) carried out a restoration of the entire church, including new foundations and tie rods to strengthen the tower. In 1979, five bells, with a tenor weighing 3-3-25 and tuned to E flat, were purchased from the foundry of Whitechapel in London. They were hung shortly after in a strengthened and expanded bell frame, made out of Karri and Oak. Bells 1 and 3 are in the new frames, with 2, 4 and 5 remaining in the Warner frame. A unique feature was also built in - a transparent, bulletproof panel, underneath the pits of bells 2, 4 and 5 so that visitors can glance up and see the bells. They were dedicated and first rung on the 27th of October 1979.
The bells are of superb quality, beautifully hung and are a joy to the ear. Despite being a very light ring (3-3-25), they are not tinny or lacking in resonance whatsoever. They go very well, despite the tower still suffering from a little bit of movement - their only disadvantage is they have a rather long, unguided draught meaning the ropes do misbehave when ones handling is inadequate. So despite going well and sounding fantastic, they are unpopular amongst many Wellington ringers, meaning they, disappointingly, hardly ever get rung anymore apart from for the occasional wedding. In the last decade, the louvres have been fitted with Sound control as there were complaints from certain wedding parties about the volume, meaning that they sadly, like the cathedral, do not carry very far.
The bells are of superb quality, beautifully hung and are a joy to the ear. Despite being a very light ring (3-3-25), they are not tinny or lacking in resonance whatsoever. They go very well, despite the tower still suffering from a little bit of movement - their only disadvantage is they have a rather long, unguided draught meaning the ropes do misbehave when ones handling is inadequate. So despite going well and sounding fantastic, they are unpopular amongst many Wellington ringers, meaning they, disappointingly, hardly ever get rung anymore apart from for the occasional wedding. In the last decade, the louvres have been fitted with Sound control as there were complaints from certain wedding parties about the volume, meaning that they sadly, like the cathedral, do not carry very far.
The small but attractive bell tower, which is also the entrance
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The Belfry in 2022.
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In the tower there is an additional bell, an Old Ship's bell which acts as a Sanctus. Its details have not been inspected, but it is known as the Shaw Saville Bell and it was given to the cathedral in October 1958. It was said to have been used on one of the company's ships in early colonial New Zealand, so it's likely to have already been very old when it was given. It is very rarely heard these days.
Between May 2019 and July 2020, another massive restoration project took place, which was focussed a lot on the structure of the tower. A new concrete base was added, and the tower was tied down with new metal rods. There was also a fair bit of work in the belfry, involving the fitting of a new sprinkler system. Unfortunately, in November 2020, there was an accident involving the Sanctus hitting an ill-positioned sprinkler whilst being rung, causing the rest to go off and the entire tower to be flooded. Luckily nothing was damaged, but the sprinkler was blocked off and tower dehumidified as the new carpet was nearly ruined.
Between May 2019 and July 2020, another massive restoration project took place, which was focussed a lot on the structure of the tower. A new concrete base was added, and the tower was tied down with new metal rods. There was also a fair bit of work in the belfry, involving the fitting of a new sprinkler system. Unfortunately, in November 2020, there was an accident involving the Sanctus hitting an ill-positioned sprinkler whilst being rung, causing the rest to go off and the entire tower to be flooded. Luckily nothing was damaged, but the sprinkler was blocked off and tower dehumidified as the new carpet was nearly ruined.
BELL DETAILS
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Bell 1 (treble) -
Cast: 1979 Weight: 1-3-24 (99kg) Note: B♭ Canons: Flat Turning: --- Inscription: TO THE FRAGRANT MEMORY OF THE MASTERS OF 100, 200, AND 300 YEARS AGO (Other side:) 19❋79 WHITECHAPEL Bell 2 - Cast: 1979 Weight: 2-1-0 (114kg) Note: A♭ Canons: Flat Turning: --- Inscription: MY TONGUE SHALL SING OF THY RIGHTEOUSNESS PS 35 28 (Other side:) 19❋79 WHITECHAPEL Bell 3 - Cast: 1979 Weight: 2-2-5 (129kg) Note: G Canons: Flat Turning: --- Inscription: THEIR SOUND HAS GONE INTO ALL THE LANDS AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD PS 19 4 (Other side:) 19❋79 WHITECHAPEL Bell 4 - Cast: 1979 Weight: 3-0-20 (161kg) Note: F Canons: Flat Turning: --- Inscription: IN THE EVENING AND IN THE MORNING AND AT NOONDAY I WILL PRAY PS 55 17 (Other side:) 19❋79 WHITECHAPEL Bell 5 (tenor) - Cast: 1979 Weight: 3-3-25 (202kg) Note: E♭ Canons: Flat Turning --- Inscription: THESE BELLS WERE CAST DURING THE RESTORATION OF OLD ST PAUL'S FOR THE PEOPLE OF NEW ZEALAND THEY REPLACE THOSE WHICH RANG OUT WELLINGTON'S FIRST "PEAL" ON 31ST. MARCH 1867 (Other side:) 19❋79 WHITECHAPEL Sanctus |
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RECORDINGS OF THE BELLS
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ONE
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TWO
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THREE
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FOUR
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FIVE
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SANCTUS
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PERFORMANCES
Only 7 peals have ever been rung at Old St Paul's, probably due to the fact that the draught, regardless of how they are handled, causes them to be lost control of easily. However a few of these are very important peals in New Zealand's ringing history.
The first peal at Old St Paul's was the first peal rung by a Maori, and the first performance rung by an all local band.
The first peal at Old St Paul's was the first peal rung by a Maori, and the first performance rung by an all local band.
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FURTHER INFORMATIONFor more information and to see a calendar of all ringing events taking place in Wellington, please visit the Ringers' Website at www.wellingtonringers.nz
Ringing is rarely called off, but please check the diary or get in touch to confirm! |
An inscription on the old tenor bell.
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The bells shortly before installation. Ron Shepperd
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Looking through the glass ceiling. Ron Shepperd
Looking up from the tenor's pit
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Photo Ron Shepperd
Looking over at Number 2 and Sanctus.
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