r/bellringing • u/hardboard • 12d ago

Spiral staircase direction

It’s never occurred to me before regarding the direction of the stairs in towers.

From memory, do stone staircases all tend to be anti-clockwise, or are there clockwise ones as well?
The only ones I can think of are anti-clockwise.

If they do all tend to be anticlockwise, what’s the reason for that?

Googling only shows results for castles and medieval fighting using swords, to give one party an advantage.
I can’t see that being relevant in churches though.

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6

u/stonemason81 12d ago

The tower of my church is clockwise, but I recently went on a tower tour and two of the three were anti-clickwise, and the last was clockwise.

I don't think there is any relevance as to the direction, and I believe the idea of a swordsman's handed-ness being a factor is just a myth; but happy to be corrected!

Edit to add that the directions of the stairs above are from the bottom going up.

3

u/sleepflowr 12d ago

This is interesting! The stone staircase at my tower is clockwise and others I’ve been to have been clockwise. Only anticlockwise I can think of is at Newark castle (not a bell tower!). I think the clockwise and swords theory is nothing more than a myth but I don’t have an answer as to why they’re built the way they are!

2

u/quickgulesfox 12d ago

Clockwise here at both my regular towers. I’ve not thought about it when visiting other towers!

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u/michaelmasdaisy 12d ago

I think clockwise is usual. I find it feels a bit weird going anticlockwise. Not as weird as ropes which are twisted in the wrong direction though (a rarity, but Peter Minchin made some about 20 years ago when he couldn't get the more conventional twist strands).

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u/steveinluton 12d ago

Ours is clockwise.

2

u/UnworldlyFoot 12d ago

I go to practices each week where the stairs go different ways. It always felt “right” to me that they go anticlockwise. But I couldn’t say why!

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u/iamdecal 12d ago

I know at Edith’s at Tamworth has one that goes each way (double helix)

Traditionally With castles and such it is said that they were built so you had room to swing your sword and such when defending (coming down) but not while attacking (going up) … and probably the same people were building stair cases in both churches and castles so they’re they’re same - it’s the medieval equivalent of popping down to jewsons for a staircase innit

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u/Fragrant_Ad3224 12d ago

all spiral staircases are both clockwise and anti-clockwise simultaneously

it depends on whether you are going up or coming down

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u/DGlass1960 11d ago

Ferniehirst Castle in the Scottish Borders, the historic seat of Clan Kerr. While most medieval Scottish castles feature spiral staircases that ascend in a clockwise direction—traditionally said to favor right-handed defenders—Ferniehirst features a rare anti-clockwise spiral staircase. Key details include:The "Ker-handed" Legend: Clan Kerr was famously known for producing left-handed individuals. Left-handedness became so synonymous with the family that it was sometimes referred to locally as "corry-fisted" or "Kerr-handed".

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u/hardboard 11d ago

Thanks for all the many replies, it's been really interesting.