Rings of 3: Church Micro 818 - Bowers Gifford Multi-cache

Change ringing is the peculiarly English Art of Bellringing whereby the bells are rung full circle in specific non repeated combinations or 'changes'. On three bells this means a possible 6 changes before repetition which holds very limited possibilities for a band of ringers.

It is because of this limitation that ringable 3 bell towers are increasingly rare. A lack of regular ringers and the bells can fall into disrepair and become unringable; too many and invariably there is pressure to add additional bells to the tower to make a ring of 5, 6 or even 8 or 10. Thus another 3 bell tower is "lost".
This cache celebrates one of the remaining ringable 3 bell towers in Essex and is part of the popular Church Micro series.

If anybody would like to expand on this series please do so. Could you please let sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.

St Margaret, Bowers Gifford

photo courtesy of www.essexchurches.com
info courtesy of www.st-margarets-church.co.uk/

There has probably been a church on the grounds since Saxon times although the original would have been made of wood. A stone church was built by Sir John Giffard in the early fourteenth century and traces of this building still remain in the South wall (circa 1320) and West doorway. The church was a gift of the Lords of the manor, the Giffards, who eventually gave their name to the small village of Bowers Gifford.

The church is built mainly of Kentish ragstone with a tower and wooden spire which was added in Tudor times. In the bell tower, which is reached by twenty five steeply winding steps, three bells are housed, two of which are amongst the oldest in the County. There is also a fifteenth century Piscina and a sixteenth century wooden Font cover. The glorious East window made by ( Lavers, Barraud, Westlake ) won a Gold Medal at the Paris Exhibition of 1870 and was installed at the church in 1871.

The church has fallen into disrepair several times in the past and in 1865 survived a proposal to demolish it and rebuild a new one in the heart of the village. Thankfully restoration work has been carried out with the most recent being in 2000-2002 to repair woodpecker damage to the steeple and roof thanks to generous grants and donations from various charitable bodies including ‘Cleanaway’, Westons, and Friends of Essex Churches.

Details of the bells
 

The cache has been hidden away from the church and can be found at N51 33.(A+B)CD E0 3E.FGH

The location can be found by finding the following:-

• Percy Ralph Albon
  • 19EF-1989
• Sarah Ann, youngest daughter of Thomas Blakeley
  • d. H2 Nov 1D66
• Mary North
  • d. G Aug 1982 Age 8C
• J North
  • d. 7 Jul 19AB

The coordinates listed are for parking by the church.


Please note carefully the terrain rating, after wet weather there will be mud!!!!