summer outing

Summer Outing

Summer Outing, Saturday 19th July 2008 - Treowen House and clock workshop, Robin Lloyd Antiques and the bell tower and clock of St Mary the Virgin, Ross-0n-Wye.
This was among the best summer outings that the Society has arranged and particular thanks goes to Mike Grange for suggesting the programme and Dick Wheelock for allowing us to visit and take us on a guided tour of Treowen House, especially as he had a family reunion in the house that weekend! There was record attendance with about 43 members and spouses/guests present. Full details of the house can be found on the link above.

Treowen is one of the finest unspoilt 17th century mansions in South Wales, near the historic market town of Monmouth. It has been a family home from the very start and in the 17th century, a catholic and royalist one - the priest's hole on the first landing bears evidence to the dangers of its recusant past. The present owners, the Wheelock family, lived and farmed here until 1993. This Jacobean manor house which has wonderful views over the Wye valley, has a fine, Grade I listed, solid oak staircase with 72 steps and two foot round newels, and there are several panelled rooms containing clocks and the famous carved-oak screen..

Dick then took us to his charming cottage to show us his clock and furniture workshops. There we met furniture restorer Antony Wilson who specialises in restoring clock cases, which he finds interesting. In the clock workshop there was a particularly stunning dial depicting military scenes.

Lunch was taken at the nearby Somerset Arms named after the Duke of Beaufort, where we had excellent service by the smiling staff, who catered well with our large party. Everyone enjoyed their meal - and then we were off to Ross-on-Wye to visit Robin Lloyd Antiques. Robin was kind enough to offer coffee and on hand to answer any queries. He is a leading dealer in antique oak furniture, but usually has some clocks. There were about six clocks on display, including one signed William Huggin, Ashwell and the other Charles Stokes, Bewdley - both of 8-day duration.

The final visit was to the tower of the church of St Mary the Virgin. The church was originally founded in the 13th century by Robert de Betun, Bishop of Hereford. There is evidence to suggest that there was a Saxon and Norman church there before the current one was built. The church, in its current form, was dedicated in 1316.

The spire is 205 feet tall and dates back to the 14th Century but was rebuilt in 1721 using funds supplied by John Kyrle. It was repaired in 1852 after lightening struck, and more repairs were needed in 1911 and the top of the spire was rebuilt in 1952.

In the churchyard is the Plague Cross that was erected to mark the mass grave where about three hundred townsfolk were buried during a savage outbreak of the plague in 1637.

Before entering the tower the members assembled in the porch of the church, where by way of introduction John Eisel spoke about the history of the tower. We then climbed the steep spiral staircase to the ringing chamber, where John talked about the history of the bells. The small sanctus bell was cast at Monmouth but was recast in 1867. A ring of eight bells was cast for the tower in 1695, and this ring was recast in 1760, both contracts being performed at the Rudhall foundry in Gloucester. The bells were last rehung in the 1970s, but the supporting timbers had to be replaced a few years later.

John then demonstrated how a bell is rung full circle, and then talked about the English art of change ringing in which the bells are rung systematically in different orders or changes. The number of changes possible depended on how many bells were being rung. On seven bells there are 5040 which take about three hours or so to ring and are called a ‘peal’ in ringing parlance. In the ringing chamber are a number of tablets and boards recording such peals. Two notable examples record peals rung in 1851 and in 1882, the latter after the bells had been rehung in a new frame, the frame still in use today. Ringers are keen to record details of their exploits, and the time taken is always recorded as well as details of the ringing. A George Voyce clock dated 1720, used to stand in the ringing chamber, probably from when it was made, until it was sold in the 1970s. This would have been used to time these peals and also when to tell the ringers when to start and stop ringing. It is now in the museum at the Dean Heritage Centre. John first rang here 50 years ago and at that time the clock stood just inside the entrance to the ringing chamber. It had not gone for many years, and was then in use as a broom cupboard! It was appropriate and fortunate that we had with us as a visitor Guy Voyce, a direct descendant of the Forest of Dean clockmaker George Voyce.

After John had answered a number of questions, some members climbed a ladder from the ringing chamber to the clock room above to see the turret clock (Joyce 1924) while others continued up to the bell chamber to see the bells. There was much surprise about the size of the bells, the largest of which weighs about 24 cwt.