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BELL
RESTORATION NEWS |
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St Mary,
Westwell
A scheme has been approved to install
a new light six under the existing bells, with the old tenor rehung
for swing chiming as a bourdon. More > |
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St Mary,
Stone by Dartford
There is a plan to restore a
ring of bells to this tower. The original ring of 5 was destroyed in
1638. Investigations are taking place with the Keltek Trust to find a
suitable second hand ring.
More > |
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Ss Peter
& Paul, Ash by Wrotham
The bells are to be rehung in the existing
strengthened frame.
More > |
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St
Nicholas, Otham
The 3 bells here are to be augmented to 6.
Negotiations are taking place with the Keltek Trust to acquire the
extra bells. (2 of them are already secured.)
More > |
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St
Nicholas, Southfleet
The 6 bells have been made ringable "with
extreme care" for short periods of time.
More > |
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Weights of bells are given
in the manner traditional among ringers, namely using the form cwt-qtr-lbs.
Recordings may be found of
some of the Kent belfries that do not yet have full detail pages attached to them. They are
given provisionally below:
SYDENHAM, St Bartholomew - a single bell by
Thomas Mears, cast in 1832.
WYE ring of 10 by Dickon Love, 13th April, 2002
Additional photographs that I
have loaded but without the full detail pages are given below:
BEXLEY,
Asylum A small bell hanging in a gable of
the former asylum in Bexley. Details currently unknown (photo 3/9/04)
GOODNESTONE, Faversham church
HINXHILL Church
KEMSING,
Edith Hall A small bell which, with squinting, would appear to be by John Warner,
1911.
MILSTEAD church
STROOD, St
Mary There is a chime of 3 in this church
(now run by The New Testament Church of God) hung for swing chiming of roughly 1, 1½ and
2 cwt. Access to the bells is almost impossible. Nothing is known of their history or
founder to date. (Photo 2004).
LUDDESDOWN,
Ss Peter & Paul The treble bell, uninscribed 15th cent. (Photo 29/3/69)
LUDDESDOWN, Ss Peter & Paul The 2nd
bell, R. Hille c. 1430 (Photo 29/3/69)
SYDENHAM, St Bartholomew church
WEST CLIFFE church
WYE church |
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LATEST
SITE ADDITIONS |
Full Pages
15th Jan -
Bapchild,
Barfreston,
Bishopsbourne, Otham,
Bilsington (St Augustine's Priory),
Badlesmere
9th Jan -
Maidstone (St Paul,
New Church), Leybourne,
St Paul's Cray,
Walmer (Blessed St Mary)
31st
Dec -
Shipbourne
22nd Dec -
Bonnington,
Nonington,
Patrixbourne, Seal Chart,
Seal
21st Dec -
Nackington
15th Dec -
Boughton Malherbe, Boughton
Monchelsea, Brenzett,
Bridge
Partial Pages
9th
Jan
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Sutton Valence,
Snodland,
St Nicholas at Wade, St Peter in
Thanet, Walmer,
Woolwich
18th Dec
- Sellindge,
Penshurst, Sandhurst
Other Amendments
20th Jan
- Barfreston, Chartham, Westwell, Meopham
15th Jan
- Maidstone (St Paul, Old church)
12th Jan
- Murston
9th Jan
- Beckenham, Bromley (St Mark), Buckland, Canterbury (St Martin),
Perry Hill (Old Church)
22nd Dec
- Kennington
18th Dec
- Appledore, Brook, Davington, Godmersham, Kingsnorth, Mersham,
Rodmersham, Rolvenden, Smarden, Thanington, Willesborough, Petham,
Little Chart (Old), Burham (Old), Canterbury (St George), Canterbury
(St Margaret), Bickley, Bilsington, Farningham, Foots Cray
30th Aug
- Chislehurst Annunciation (revised weights)
Gillett &
Johnston Bells in Kent
I have been doing a special study of all bells in Kent from the
Gillett & Johnston Foundry in Croydon. This is on-going research and
may be seen here.
Sources of
Information
Most of the information has come from my own
research in the ringing press, bell foundry records and other
published sources, as well as from visits that I have undertaken to
individual belfries. Also, help has been provided by various ringers,
special thanks are given below. Virtually all the photographs are my
own.
PARTICULAR THANKS GO TO:
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Rev'd David Cawley (Margate)
Richard Offen (Perth, WA)
Chris Pickford (Stourbridge)
Brian Butcher (Hythe)
and the late Nick Davies (Lydd)
and Peter Romney (Hadlow)
for providing and QAing information.
Also to those who provide positive feedback from
the site which helps make it such a pleasure to maintain.
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