The Bells of Old York - St. James Cathedral - Toronto, Ontario
Posted by: 
InGodsHands
N 43° 39.027 W 079° 22.455
17T E 631106 N 4834334
The Bells of York in the Cathedral Church of St. James - Toronto, Ontario
Waymark Code: WM9QXA
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 09/21/2010
Views: 15
The St. James' Cathedral Guild of Change Ringers ring North America's first full set of 12 change-ringing bells (the only one in Canada, and one of only two installations on the continent) before the 11 am service on Sundays, beginning as soon as the 9 am service has ended - usually sometime around 10:10 am.
The Bells of Old York
One hundred feet high in the tower and spire which crowns St. James' Cathedral is a peal of twelve change-ringing bells, the only such ring of 12 in North America. A unique presence in the Cathedral's musical life, "The Bells of Old York" are rung by members of The St. James' Cathedral Guild of Change Ringers.
The 12 bells are arranged into a frame, which sits on a concrete beam circumventing the 6 ft thick walls of the tower. This beam in turn is supported into the buttresses of the tower and is especially designed to take the swinging forces of these heavy bells. Each bell is suspended from a "headstock" and can swing between two bearings. On one side of the headstock is an oak wheel with a rope attached at a strategic location. On the opposite side of the bell to the wheel and in the opposite direction to the bell is an ash "stay". Inside of the bell and pivoted at the top of the bell, is a "clapper". This is able to swing freely in the same plane as the bell. The ropes from the twelve bells fall in a circle to the "Ringing Chamber", some 60ft below.
By manipulating a rope, its bell can be "raised" from the mouth downward position, increasingly swinging backwards and forwards until it is fully mouth upwards. This is the bell's normal ringing position. The purpose of the "stay" is to engage with another piece of wood, the "slider", in the base of the frame to hold the bell in this upright position between ringing sessions.
Group tours of the bells are arranged by special appointment. Please call the Cathedral office at 416-364-7865.
The tower and spire of St. James rises 305 feet above the street. Though that is modest in comparison to Toronto's CN Tower (1815 ft), in terms of bell towers, St. James is among the tallest in the world.
Address of Tower:
65 Church Street
Toronto, ON Canada
M5C 2E9
Still Operational: yes
Number of bells in tower?: 12
Relevant website?: [Web Link]
Rate tower: 
Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Yes
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the tower taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this tower and any other interesting information you learned about it while there.