| Dedication | Location | Branch | OS Grid Ref. | Bells | Info. | Tenor | Total Peals |
Sunday Service |
Practice Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Giles | Pontefract | Leeds & District | SE 455219 | 10 | 18-0-9 in E | 125 | 0930 | Monday 1930 |
St. Giles' was made the Parish Church of Pontefract by Act of Parliament in 1789, in the reign of George III. Actually this status had, for practical purposes, been achieved more than a hundred years before when the original Parish Church, All Saints, had been almost destroyed during the siege of the Castle in 1649, and it was from this date that St. Giles had a central place in the religious life of the town.
The tower of St. Giles Church forms a well known landmark in the district. No matter from which direction the visitor approaches the town the tower's open spire is clearly visible on the horizon.
The earliest building was most probably without a tower, but we believe that by the time the medieval church had been built, a small square tower had been added to the West End, of which no trace remains visible today. By the late 15th Century or the early 16th Century this tower had had a broach steeple added to it.
In 1707 the steeple was considered to be in a most dangerous condition and Sir Thomas Bland of Kippax Park gratified his constituents by having it rebuilt at his own expense. A peal of bells was added at some time, as we know from the record of their recasting in 1781.
In 1790 the development of the south-side of the church was completed. It must have been about this time too that the tower of 1707 was replaced by the fourth tower which is the present classically styled structure.
This new tower was not found to be pleasing by everyone for the Hon. John Byng, who visited the town during his "Tour to the North" in 1792, wrote "The new steeple to their new church is not to my taste, being a hall of Grecian Fancies".
On September 11th, 1807, Wakefield ringers rang a peal of New Treble Bob (5088 changes) on the bells. The latter were recast by Messrs. William and John Taylor of Oxford in 1835 and rehung by Messrs. Mallaby and Sons of Masham in 1887, in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Jubliee.
In 1920 as a Thanksgiving for Deliverance, Victory and Peace, the bells were again recast and two trebles added by Taylors of Loughborough.
The weights of the ten bells and some of the more interesting inscriptions are as follows:-
| Treble | 3-0-26 | Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory. |
| 2 | 3-3-18 | Great Peace have they who love thy law. |
| 3 | 3-3-18 | Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus. |
| 4 | 4-0-25 | On earth peace, goodwill to men. |
| 5 | 5-0-26 | Deo et Ecclesiae. In alleluias loud we'll sing in Pomfret's Tower To God our King, Immortalise in merry peal Return of Peace and Patron's Zeal. |
| 6 | 6-1-27 | James Rhodes raised this peal
in 1835. Mrs. John George Lyon gave £500 towards the cost of recasting this peal in memory of her husband. 1920. |
| 7 | 8-0-14 | (Names of Vicar, Churchwardens and Mayor.) |
| 8 | 10-0-1 | Long may our benefactors live to know What pranks we play our gratitude to show. |
| 9 | 13-1-17 | Holiness unto the Lord, Alleluia. Mrs W. Gundill gave £350 towards the cost of recasting these bells in memory of her sister Mary Ann Martin. |
| Tenor | 18-0-19 | Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring out the false, ring in the true. Peace 1919. |
During the past year we have recruited seven new learners, both adult and junior, of which six have continued to ring. Most of these are directly due to Fr Godfrey's appeal to the congregation, for which we are very grateful. Also, one extra qualified ringer (from Garforth) has recently joined us.
For Sunday service we can now ring up to eight bells, especially during University vacation times. So, things are definitely improving, and we hope, before long, to be capable of ringing all ten bells regularly.
Lastly, my heartfelt thanks are due to the loyal nucleus of established ringers for their unstinting support.
David Atkins, Tower Captain.