Up the uneven steps and through another door. Straight ahead, solid looking wooden steps with handrail. I gave my word that I wouldn't climb further into the steeple, so I just went up a few steps to get a better angle on the bells.
And startled a pigeon which was nesting on one of the window slats. Actually it startled me!
Bells everywhere! Here are some pictures. It turns out that my camera can see in less light than I can! (No flash)
This one below was taken with flash. Note that the pulley wheel is bright in the foreground. The rest of it looks 'flat'.
Same picture with available light.
Flash? no flash? The two modes pick out different features so a church bell specialist might want to look at both.
Bell metal melts at a very low temperature so that during construction the heavy bells could be cast on site and then lifted into position. Church bells are consecrated which means that they can't just be melted down when they are no longer in use. Space is generally found to store them. Accordingly the Sanctus bell from St Nicholas now resides in the tower at Gloucester Cathedral in a wooden frame with two other redundant bells. I believe it's the bell on the right.
Photograph supplied by Nigel Dodd. For more of Nigel's pictures of the Gloucester Cathedral tower tour please visit pics.neuralsolutions.co.uk/threeChoirs/glosCathedral/
