St Michael’s has an excellent peal of eight bells. The oldest six bells were all cast at the famous bell foundry of Rudhall in Gloucester, between 1700 and 1758. Two more from Taylors of Loughborough were added in 1951 when major improvements were made, including moving the main ringing floor up from the chancel to the loft above the tower crossing. At that time the bells were also rehung on a new strong metal frame: this frame is now painted in a brilliant red, the colour traditionally associated with Taylors’ work.
A ninth ‘Service’ Bell can still be rung from the chancel itself.
For full details of the bells, scroll down further.
More photographs
Full details of the bells
Weights, notes and dates of the bells are shown in the table below:
| Bell | Weight | Nominal | Note | Diameter | Cast | Founder | Canons | Inscription |
| 1 | 5-0-27 | 1280.0 | Eb | 28.38″ | 1951 | John Taylor & Co | F | |
| 2 | 5-3-1 | 1206.0 | D | 29.50″ | 1951 | John Taylor & Co | F | |
| 3 | 6-1-8 | 1073.0 | C | 32.13″ | c1700 | Abraham I Rudhall | Y | Peter Cocks, Gent & Thos Beal Gent Churchwardens |
| 4 | 7-3-16 | 956.0 | Bb | 35.25″ | 1758 | Abel Rudhall | Y | Peace and good neighbourhood |
| 5 | 8-2-11 | 853.0 | Ab | 36.88″ | 1740 | Abel Rudhall | Y | Thos Paine, James Cocks, Thos Barnard, John Taylor, Churchwardens 1740 |
| 6 | 9-3-13 | 803.5 | G | 38.63″ | 1854 | William Taylor | Y | William Taylor, Churchwarden, William Taylor, Bellfounder |
| 7 | 13-2-7 | 717.0 | F | 43.50″ | 1700 | Abraham I Rudhall | R | Prosperity to this Parish 1700 AR |
| 8 | 19-2-21 | 638.0 | Eb | 47.50″ | 1933 | John Taylor & Co | F | The living I to Church do call And to the Grave do summon all |
| Service | 0-2-10 | 13.88″ | 1695 | Abraham I Rudhall | Y | Abra Rudhall |
Further details of the bells are available at the Dove’s Guide entry for Bishop’s Cleeve web pages.