Bells Whistles and Streams

Bells Whistles and Streams

Hidden History

Bells

While thundering along country lanes on my bike I am often struck by how the world has changed. Hedgerows and big oak trees are very telling about the past use of the land. On route to Ludlow I passed an old church, and had an odd thought. Bells, whistling and streams, which all played a big part in shaping the landscape.

The history of bells and how important they were to our daily lives is amazing. There was a great pride in a village that owned and rang its own bells. Skirmishes between villages in order to steal bells were not unknown; such was the prestige and practical value of a bell. Before affordable clocks the village bell played several important functions apart from the obvious keeping of the time.

It rang to warn of danger e.g. invasion, fire

In rang at times of celebration

It rang the religious office of the day and called people to prayer

It rang the start of the day sending workers to the fields – and brought them back

It rang when someone died

It rang when there was an excommunication

It rang when there was an exorcism

Bells were used to proclaim, as far as they could be heard, the message of Christianity. Christianity is out of favor and churches are sold, left to fall down or become costly historical artifacts for a community.

Whistles

Harpo Marx communicated by whistling in films, and as funny and as ingenious as it seemed there is in fact a history of countries and peoples that communicated by whistling. It is easy to call to mind shepherds working their dogs over mountain sides and sailors leaping to their stations from a bosun’s whistle, but harder to imagine people having whistled conversations. But people did do just that. In parts of Spain there is a whistled language of several thousands of words still used to communicate over long distances. Many country people would communicate like this, if in only a limited way. There were many countries that used whistling at some time in some form or other to communicate including France (Occitan), Greece, Spain and Turkey.

Streams

The humble stream has played a big part in the history and development of communities.

The history of any hamlet, village, town or city is also the history of its water source. It is no accident that many cities and towns have a river at its heart. The great rivers have watered the great cities as well as provided a means of transport, communication, commerce - and sewers. The Severn, considered to be the last free running river in Europe, starts on Plynlimon in mid Wales and runs down to the Bristol Channel. On its way down stream water is taken by Shrewsbury, Worcester, Cheltenham and Gloucester not to mention Ironbridge, Bridgnorth, Stourport, Tewkesbury and numerous villages that all in turn put their ‘treated water’ back in the Severn. Londoners complain that their water has been through eight sets of kidneys on average! The Romans made good use of the Severn, building bridges along the river where they were absolutely necessary, but mostly using fords. 

Hidden, but still running beneath the streets of some towns and villages are the original water source. Cheltenham has the river Chelt that once ran through the town centre but is now visible in only a few places. It is not far from the alleged original source of Cheltenham’s mineral water Royal Well. Finding mineral water was the making of many towns such as Malvern, Leamington and Bath. The popularity of Spas spread throughout Europe giving the rich chance to ‘cure’ themselves of numerous ‘illnesses’ whilst displaying their wealth and enjoying the ‘entertainments’. It is no surprise that many of these towns have magnificent baths, theatres, concert rooms, parks and gardens.

A good look at a map, or walk round, will show that the development of any community, even one or two cottages, will be due to a water supply near by. It is sure to be a stream, well, spring or pond.

Cheltenham’s mineral water could be said to be an acquired taste. This rhyme is often mentioned in connection with the waters

Here I lie with my three daughters

For having drunk the Cheltenham waters

Wish that I had kept to Epsom salts

And I would not be in these vaults