Matthew Higby and Company Limited. Church Bell Engineers

For those arriving in the Chilcompton area on Friday 14th June:
The Potters Yard Ring (12 bells, Tenor 1¼cwt) will be available for open ringing from 7.30pm – 9pm.
This ring is located at the premises of Matthew Higby & Co Ltd at Unit 16, Charmborough Farm Rural Business Park, Charlton Lane, Holcombe. BA3 5FX.
Instructions for finding unit 16.
Turn right immediately inside the main gates to the business park.
Follow signs for Indigo Archery.
Unit 16 can be found on the left-hand side, just before you get to Indigo (next to JB Racing).

A quick trip to The Emerald Isle. Lovely time a packed Belfry at Doneraile this evening. Thanks to all those who came and for the tea and cake afterwards! 🎂 🫖 🔔

Wishing all of our friends and customers (both old and new) A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Almost home after a 500 odd mile round trip to Brough (Cumbria) for the test ring. Thank you team for yet another splendid production….

Neil Thomas has been busy rehanging the tenor at the Church of S Cyriac & S Julitta, Swaffham Prior, with new gudgeons and self-aligning roller bearings. The bell frame surrounding this bell has also been strengthened with steel corner brackets and timber folding-wedges to reduce vertical deflection between the bell frame and its foundation beams. Despite most of the original bell fittings being reused, the bell goes extremely well. This Church is vested in The Churches Conservation Trust, but the bells are regularly rung for services in St Mary’s Church, which shares the same Churchyard.

Finally footage of the test ring at Nevern. https://youtu.be/8IlmWXzLQ7w

Manor School, Coalpit Heath, South Gloucestershire. The small turret bell has had its cast in crown staple removed, and has been rehung with all new fittings for swing chiming. All new metalwork (with the exception of the clapper) is now stainless steel.

Church of St Brynach, Nevern, Pembrokeshire. The derelict peal of six bells has been remodeled and augmented to 10 with an additional 3 chiming bells. They have been hung with all new fittings in a new steel bellframe. The new tenor weighs 10-0-16 in G #. The ringing peal includes 3 reused bells (ex Goodwick and Brockville, Ontario) and two new bells. The original tenor of six has been joined by two further reused bells, ex Garthbrengy and Widnes.

Matthew Higby and Company Limited. Church Bell Engineers updated their information in their About section.

As 2020 draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU to my team for the immense amount of help and support, whilst working our way through a somewhat difficult year. At times, it has felt like we have been wading through treacle, but despite all odds, we have managed pull off a very productive year. Can I take this opportunity to wish our friends and customers a very happy and productive 2021.

The past few months has seen a period of significant investment for Matthew Higby & Co Ltd. We have purchased new pattern-ware to enable us to produce our own cast-iron headstocks. The first castings were delivered today. They will be machined and fitted with gudgeons over the next few weeks. Exciting times!

New company website is up! See www.bellhangers.com

Matthew Higby & Company Ltd Matthew Higby & Company Ltd

I made this collage for the Company website, and decided to post it here too! Just a handful of things that we regularly do or supply!

Another small job finished off today. The tenor at Bristol, All Saints, has been rehung with new gudgeons refurbished bearings. Thank you Neil Thomas and Tony Bulteel, plus their team of helpers for doing the donkey work.

Well done to the Elizabeth college ringers on a superb little production - it also showcases a couple of our recent projects.

Elizabeth College Bell Ringers Alderney Training Weekend 'An Introduction to Bell Ringing'

Some photos of peals of bells which we have restored and/or augmented. Before and after photos.

Ron Shepherd visited this morning and had his photo taken with one of the new bells for St Patrick's RC Cathedral, Paramatta, NSW. This bell has been inscribed to recognise the amazing work that Ron has undertaken (over many decades) on Australian bell projects. Congratulations Ron!

In June we reported that St Patrick's RC Cathedral, Parramatta, NSW were going to install a ring of eight bells based on six bells ex-Widnes and two new treble bells. The trebles have been cast and the photo is of Ron Shepherd with one of them.

The Mancroft Ringing Discovery Centre, Norwich. Julian And Matthew were pleased to attend the formal dedication and blessing of the stunning new ringing gallery and state of the art training belfry which forms a substantial part of this spectacular project. Whilst there is still some ongoing building work, our own work is now complete, and the set of 8 training dumbbells that we have created are now fully operational.

Christ Church, Bundaberg, Queensland. Five bells (4 new) are being added to the existing Gillett & Johnston bell to create a peal of six bells, tenor 14-2-24 in G. Here is the team drinking some Bundaberg Ginger Beer, kindly supplied by Ron Shepherd. Cheers Ron!

Yesterday we test rang the restored and augmented bells at Michaelchurch Escley. The new "Rudhall style" treble bell has been designed and tuned by Benjamin Kipling and cast by Emanuele Allanconi in Crema, Milan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZwJ-vvf1bQ

Michaelchurch Escley Bells Taken during the test ring of the augmented and rehung peal of six bells 27/3/2018. The new treble was cast by Emanuele Allanconi in Crema, Italy. Designed t...

We would like to take this opportunity to wish our friends and customers, all the best for the forthcoming Christmas festivities and the New Year. We have lots of exciting things to look forward to next year!

This post is several months overdue (for which I apologise) but we are very pleased (and excited) to welcome Benjamin Kipling to our team. For more than a decade, Ben has worked as a tuner at The Whitechapel Bell Foundry, until their closure in May. He is the most experienced bell tuner working full time within the trade, and was instrumental in designing the Whitechapel Mk III bell profile and also the introduction of external soundbow tuning. We already have a backlog of bells waiting for his skills. Welcome Benjamin!