| Place | Ashwell S Mary V |
| Lieutenancy area | Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Historic county | Hertfordshire |
| Dove tower ID | 12848 |
| Rings | 6 (full-circle ring), tenor 18–3–10 in FSee below |
| Frames | 1See below |
| Grid reference | TL266397 |
| Latitude & longitude | 52.04195, -0.15425View on map, or get directions from Google MapsList nearest towers |
| Satnav lat & long | No optimised destination for satellite navigation has been submittedAdd details |
| Postcode | SG7 5LU |
| Diocese | St Albans |
| Church group | Church of England |
| Listed grade | I by Historic England |
| Church heritage record | 11221 |
| Also | Toilet |
| URL | https://www.hcacr.org/tower-12848 |
| Affiliation | Hertford County Association |
| Performances | Search for performances on BellBoardCustomise |
| Peal boards | No peal boards have been uploaded to BellBoard yet The Central Council is collecting photographs of all peal boards, and curating and uploading them to BellBoard. This includes material from earlier systems found here. |
| Biographies | View the biographies of ringers at this tower on the Central Council Ringing History Hub |
| Bells | 6 (full-circle ring)Edit details |
| Tenor | 18–3–10 (2110 lb or 957 kg) in F (675.0 Hz) |
| Practices | Thu |
| Projects & overhauls | 1997 by Huntingdonshire CB Restn Soc (major overhaul) Bells rehung in the existing frame 1936 (major overhaul) |
| Peals | View 23 peals in the Felstead Database |
| Bell | Weight | Frequency | Note | Diameter | Dated | Founder | Canons | Turning | Hanging | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6½ cwt | 1140.5 | D | 32.50″ | 1791 | John Briant | Y | 4 | FC | ||
| 2 | 7¾ cwt | 1036.0 | C | 34.38″ | 1694 | Charles Newman | Y | 4 | FC | ||
| 3 | 8 cwt | 907.0 | B♭ | 35.38″ | 1817 | John Briant | Y | 4 | FC | ||
| 4 | 9¾ cwt | 856.0 | A | 38.00″ | 1787 | John Briant | Y | 4 | FC | ||
| 5 | 13½ cwt | 763.5 | G | 42.75″ | 1808 | Robert Taylor | Y | 4 | FC | ||
| 6 | 18–3–10 | 675.0 | F | 47.00″ | 1789 | John Briant | Y | 4 | FC |
[1]Frame Fr1 Trusses
Frame Fr1 Trusses have Truss Type 3.Q with long heads.
Published: 11/04/2024; updated: 13/07/2025
[2]Frame evolution
The frame is believed to have begun as the hollow square
four-bell frame layout 4.2R. The trusses are believed to have been long-headed from the start, i.e. a type 5 frame: as such type 5.R although some trusses do have jack-braces too (possibly added).
There were five bells in 1552 but it is not obvious where the additional bell was hung and the adaptations were presumably swept away in subsequent alterations.
It seems to have been adapted for six in 1694, with a resultant non-standard layout. It seems likely that this work involved the removal of a heavier tenor (of about 60" diameter and perhaps 25-30 cwt in weight) to make two trebles. Certainly the tenor pit was narrowed. The original tenor pit may have also been shortened so that the pit at right angles could be extended to take two bells. Two bells were also squeezed into another pit while a further pit (now containing the 5th) was shortened for the ladder access.
Image: Dickon Love, from Chris Pickford drawing (7 Dec 2025)
Published: 07/12/2025; updated: 08/12/2025
| 25/01/2026 | 1-6: turning added; Fr1: truss, modifications added [Chris Pickford, from the Christopher Dalton papers & personal visit via REMRKS571] |
| 07/12/2025 | Frame Fr1: truss amended, layout added [Chris Pickford, visit 1990 via #008535] |
| 17/07/2025 | Restoration in 1997 was by the Huntingdonshire restoration group |
| 26/01/2025 | HCACR URL amended [Lucas Williams, HCACR Web Master] |