Chimes in the British Isles: index by weight (pitch)

The table below is an index to 95 of the British Isles chimes, in order by the pitch of the bourdon (heaviest bell of the main keyboard range).  Instruments with the same bourdon pitch are in descending order by number of bells, then by missing or added semitones, then by country and county.  The key to the four column headings is at the end of the table, along with some other notes.

    Location (City : Country)               Note Chr  Nr  Transp
bourdon in the bass octave (20000 to 3000 kg) - 2 instruments
BRADFORD                      : ENGLAND -YW  A    I   13    -
WORCESTER - 1                 : ENGLAND -WO  B    L   16    -  ring
bourdon in the middle octave (2500 to 300 kg) - 69 instruments
LONDON - AH                   : ENGLAND -EC  C    X   18    -
KENDAL                        : ENGLAND -CU  C    -   11    -
COVENTRY                      : ENGLAND -WA  C#   J   14    -
LONDON - RE                   : ENGLAND -EC  C#   I   13    -
PEEBLES                       : SCOTLAND-PB  C#   K   13    1
MONAGHAN                      : IRELAND -MN  C#   I   10    -
DERBY                         : ENGLAND -DB  C#   H   10    -  chime/ring
SHANDON                       : IRELAND -CK  C#   I    9    -
NEWPORT                       : WALES - GT   C#   H    8    -
KINGSTON-UPON-HULL - HT/1     : ENGLAND -YE  D    J   15    -  ring
TAUNTON                       : ENGLAND -SM  D    K   15    -  chime/ring
ABERDEEN - STM                : SCOTLAND-AB  D    J   14    -
FALKIRK                       : SCOTLAND-ST  D    J   13    0
LONDONDERRY                   : N IRELAND-D  D    K   13    0  chime/ring
WEXFORD                       : IRELAND -WX  D    I   11    -  chime/ring
NEWRY                         : N IRELAND-D  D    I   10    -
CAMBRIDGE                     : ENGLAND -CA  D    I    9    -  chime/ring
TOWCESTER - 1                 : ENGLAND -NH  D#   -   21    -
LIMERICK - SA                 : IRELAND -LM  D#   I   11    -  chime/ring
ASHFORD                       : ENGLAND -KE  D#   I   11    -  chime/ring
HARTLEPOOL                    : ENGLAND -DU  D#   I   11    -  chime/ring
INVERNESS                     : SCOTLAND-HI  D#   I   11    -  chime/ring
PAISLEY                       : SCOTLAND-RE  D#   -   10    -
BLAGDON                       : ENGLAND -SM  D#   I    9    -  chime/ring
NEWPORT PAGNELL               : ENGLAND -BU  D#   I    9    -  chime/ring
DALSTON - SMK                 : ENGLAND -E   D#   H    8    -
LUDLOW                        : ENGLAND -SH  E    I   13    -  chime/ring
BANBURY                       : ENGLAND -OX  E    J   12    -  chime/ring
WESTMINSTER                   : ENGLAND -WC  E    I   11    -  chime/ring
DUNDALK                       : IRELAND -LO  E    J   10    -
SELBY                         : ENGLAND -YW  E    J   10    -
LIMEHOUSE                     : ENGLAND -E   E    -    9    -
MELLOR                        : ENGLAND -LA  E    I    9    -
POOLE                         : ENGLAND -DO  E    I    9    -
CHERTSEY                      : ENGLAND -SR  E    H    8    -
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE - BJ      : ENGLAND -NM  F    M   17    -
GREAT WARLEY                  : ENGLAND -ES  F    K   16    -
KIRKCALDY                     : SCOTLAND-FI  F    -   11    -
OULTON                        : ENGLAND -ST  F    -   11    -
MELTHAM                       : ENGLAND -YW  F    I   10    -  chime/ring
PRESTEIGNE                    : WALES - RD   F    H    8    -
DUNDEE                        : SCOTLAND-AN  F#   L   16    -
CARRICKMACROSS                : IRELAND -MN  F#   -   12    -
HOOTON PAGNELL                : ENGLAND -YW  F#   I    9    -
LEIGH-ON-SEA                  : ENGLAND -ES  F#   H    8    -  peal
MANCHESTER - HN               : ENGLAND -LA  G    K   15    -
ALVERTHORPE                   : ENGLAND -YW  G    K   13    -
ALFRETON                      : ENGLAND -DB  G    J   12    -
FRIMLEY                       : ENGLAND -SR  G    J   12    -
GLANDFORD                     : ENGLAND -NF  G    -   12    -
LERWICK                       : SHETLAND IS  G    -   11    -
CLYDEBANK                     : SCOTLAND-SC  G    H    8    -
MONKTON COMBE                 : ENGLAND -SE  G    H    8    -
GLASGOW                       : SCOTLAND-LA  G#   L   16    1
WHITWICK                      : ENGLAND -LE  G#   Z   15    8
CARLTON                       : ENGLAND -NT  G#   J   11    -
CLIFTON                       : ENGLAND -BD  G#   I   11    -  chime/ring
ABERDOVEY                     : WALES - GW   G#  *J   10    -
KENILWORTH                    : ENGLAND -WA  G#   J   10    -
ALSTON                        : ENGLAND -CU  G#   -   10    -
FOULRIDGE                     : ENGLAND -LA  G#   I   10    -
PORTADOWN                     : N IRELAND-R  A    -   15    -
ROEHAMPTON                    : ENGLAND -SW  A   +J   13    -
HOUNSLOW                      : ENGLAND -MD  A    J   12    -
LARBERT                       : SCOTLAND-ST  A    J   11    -
WYTHAM                        : ENGLAND -BR  A    J   10    -
LONDON - MC                   : ENGLAND -E   A    -   10    -
CLITHEROE                     : ENGLAND -LA  B    J   10    -
WYKE                          : ENGLAND -YW  B    J   10    -
bourdon in the treble octave (250 to 60 kg) - 17 instruments
LEE                           : ENGLAND -SE  C    L   16    -
GOLDERS GREEN                 : ENGLAND -NW  C    -   10    -
WESTPORT                      : IRELAND -MY  C    I    9   12
DALSTON - SMY                 : ENGLAND -E   C    H    8   12
ST.SAVIOUR                    : ENGLAND -CI  C    H    8   12
BLACKBURN                     : ENGLAND -LA  C#   H    8    -
STIRLING                      : SCOTLAND-ST  D    -   16    -
HIGH BEACH                    : ENGLAND -ES  D    -   13    -  chimola
BOSTON - 2                    : ENGLAND -LI  D#   -   15    -
BECONTREE                     : ENGLAND -ES  D#   -   10    -
LONDON - HW                   : ENGLAND -EC  E   +H   12    -
DEPTFORD                      : ENGLAND -SE  F    H    8   17
LONDON - WBF                  : ENGLAND -E   F#   -   12    -
KENNERLEIGH                   : ENGLAND -DE  F#   H    8    -
GLOUCESTER                    : ENGLAND -GL  G    -   12    -
LEXDEN                        : ENGLAND -ES  A#  +H   11    -
WORCESTER - 2                 : ENGLAND -WO  A    H    8    -
bourdon in the "itty-bitty" octave (55 kg or less) - 4 instrumentS
ASHORNE HILL                  : ENGLAND -WA  C    X   18    -
LONDON - E                    : ENGLAND -W   C    -   18    -
LONDON - FM                   : ENGLAND -W   C   +L   17    -
LITTLE WALSINGHAM             : ENGLAND -NF  C#   J   12    -
not indexed (weight unknown) - 3 instruments
LIMERICK - STJ                : IRELAND -LM  -    -   11    -
LONDON - MG                   : ENGLAND -W   -    -    9    -
BIRTLES HALL                  : ENGLAND -CH  -    -    8    -

Key to column headings:

Note
pitch of the bourdon (bass bell) of the chime.  (In rare instances there may be a heavier sub-bourdon bell; see below.)

Chr
chromatics indicator:
Z = fully chromatic (no missing semitones)
Y = missing one semitone in the bass (typically keyboard C# or B)
X = missing two semitones in the bass (typically keyboard C#,D# or B,C#)
+X = same as "X" but has an additional sub-bourdon bell, separated by at least two semitones from the one indicated under "Note".
*X = same as "X" but also has a treble semitone missing somewhere.
H = purely diatonic (no added semitones)
I = one added semitone (typically keyboard Bb)
J = two added semitones (typically keyboard F# and Bb)
K = three added semitones
L = four added semitones
M = five added semitones (but without reaching chromatic status X, Y or Z)
- = unknown (or not applicable)

Nr
number of bells (notes) in the chime.

Transp
transposition from the keyboard notes to the pitches of the corresponding bells, in semitones.  (Thus the number "12" reflects transposition upward one octave, while "-3" reflects transposition downward by a minor third.)

Notes:

The table is sorted first on the pitch of the bass bell, then on the number of bells, then on the chromatics indicator, then on country and county.  The actual weight of the bass bell is not used.

The weight range indicators for each octave are only gross approximations, and should not be taken to represent any specific bell.


Return to Indexes to chimes in the British Isles.


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This index page was built from the database on 10-Oct-05 and last revised on 18-Apr-24.

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