Bells

There are six bells in the tower. They are hung for full circle ringing.
Three of them are medieval and were cast in Worcester in the period 1400-20.
The other three were also cast in Worcester and are dated 1654.
The medieval bells are known as Royal Head bells because they bear the heads
of Edward II and Queen Philippa as stops between the words of their Latin inscriptions:

No 3. IOHANNES CRISTI CARE ME SALVA SEMPER CLARE
No 4. AVE MARIA GRACIA PLENA DOMINVS TECUM
No 5. IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDEORVM FILI DEI MISERERE MEI

The location of the bell foundry in Worcester is not known, but it may have been in Sidbury or in Crowngate, near the site of the Huntingdon Hall.
The 1552 Edwardian Inventories record there being 'IV bells in the frame and I bell for the clock and I little bell'.
The development of full-circle ringing in England probably began in the 16th century, but was interrupted by the Reformation. By the 17th century its practice was becomming increasingly widespread with the further development of change ringing.
The latter stimulated a desire to increase the number of bells in the tower and also for them to be tuned in the major scale.
St Swithun's met this fashion by increasing its bells to six in 1654, which makes them one of the oldest rings of six bells in the country. [Other churches with similar claims are St Margaret's, Ipswich and Harwell, Berkshire].
The three additional bells were cast by John Martin, whose bell foundry was in Silver Street, Worcester. Their inscriptions are:

No 1. IESVS BEE OVR GOOD SPEED 1654
No 2. SOLI DEO GLORIA PAX HOMINIBVS 1654
No 6. MAS SOLLEY OF HINDLIP GAVE THIS BELL THEOPHILVS ALL YE MAIOR THOMAS HACKETT
  CHWARDENS 1654

John Martin's bells are quite numerous and are also found in Warwickshire and Herefordshire.

The bells were re-hung in a new steel and cast iron bell frame in 1973. The previous wooden frame is still in the tower at a higher level.

There are a lot of interesting 18th century graffiti [initials and dates] scratched on the walls of the ringing chamber that are assumed to have been done by bellringers!

CLICK TO RING THE BELLS OF ST SWITHUN'S

In 2010 the bell ropes were renewed with funds raised by the Friends of St Swithun’s. The bells are rung on an occasional basis, notably to mark the feast of St Swithun on 15 July.

Tower ringing master: Simon Wilmshurst

Notes on the bells of St Swithun's by David Beacham FBHI, Diocesan Bells Adviser