Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent

Welcome to the Kent section of Love's Guide. This site is maintained by Dickon Love as a place to record his research into belfry archaeology and history in the County of Kent (and those parts considered by some to be in London formerly in the County of Kent). Information comes from many sources, and Dickon is grateful to all those who have contributed to this research, particularly those listed below.

This information is taken from a more complete database, all of which is hoped to become available on this site. Any corrections, comments or additions would be gratefully received by .

Dickon Love is an active bellringer in the City of London and is a member and Past Master of the Ancient Society of College Youths, who are responsible for ringing the bells at the major towers in the City. He is also a member of the Cambridge University Guild, the Middlesex County Association & London Diocesan Guild and the Kent County Association. His primary interest is in the history of bells and bell towers, and the focus of his research is on the the Cities of London and Westminster and the County of Kent. He is Tower Keeper at St Magnus the Martyr and St Mary Woolnoth, Churchwarden at St Magnus the Martyr and Parish Clerk of St Clement Eastcheap. He makes his living as a management consultant working in central government.

BELL RESTORATION NEWS
	St Peter ad Vincula, Ditton Considered to be 2 bells and a priest's bell, this has been discovered to be a ring of 3. A little work by the Kent CACR has made them just about ringable. More >

	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 >

	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 >

	Ss Peter & Paul, Ash by Wrotham The bells are to be rehung in the existing strengthened frame. More >

	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 >

	St Nicholas, Southfleet The 6 bells have been made ringable "with extreme care" for short periods of time. More >

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. 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 KEMSING, Edith Hall A small bell which, with squinting, would appear to be by John Warner, 1911. 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) WEST CLIFFE church

LATEST SITE ADDITIONS

Full Pages
16th Mar - Stodmarsh, Ryarsh, Gravesend (St James), Sutton Valence School
9th Mar - Hinxhill
8th Mar - Bromley (St John)
4th Mar - Maidstone (Holy Trinity), Erith School, Otterden
1st Mar - List of chimes
24th Feb - 30 Years of Silence in Rochester, Ringing Resumes on the Roof of Kent, Detling
23rd Feb - River [MILESTONE: THAT NOW COMPLETES ALL THE RINGS OF BELLS IN KENT NOW APPEARING ON THIS SITE!], Sydenham (St Bartholomew), Abbey Wood, Worth
22nd Feb - New headers and an index of all the church bells (plus some others)
18th Feb - THE GILLETT LISTS (major revamp), Thurnham, Temple Ewell, Teston, Wouldham, Wye, Milstead, Cooling
10th Feb - Ditton
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
23rd Feb - Lower Halstow, Wilmington
18th Feb - Cliftonville (St Paul)
17th Feb - Wateringbury
9th Jan - Sutton Valence, Snodland, St Nicholas at Wade, St Peter in Thanet, Walmer, Woolwich
18th Dec - Sellindge, Penshurst, Sandhurst

Other Amendments
17th Mar - Minster in Sheppey
9th Mar - Boughton-under-Blean, Goodnestone by Sandwich, Herne, Hothfield, Swanley, Lenham, Sturry, Wormshill, Lower Hardres
4th Mar - Newchurch, Charlton
3rd Mar - Adisham, Waltham, Sandhurst, Harbledown (St Nicholas), Bonnington, Margate (Holy Trinity New Church)
1st Mar - Westwell, Monkton, St Nicholas at Wade, Challock. Molash, Langley, Frinsted, Eythorne, East Langdon, Leeds, Minster-in-Thanet, Canterbury (St Martin)
23rd Feb - Chalk, Newington, Canterbury (St Alphege), Canterbury (St George), Broomfield, Cobham, Tunstall
23rd Feb - Margate (including fine new photograph), Strood, Crundale, Postling, Dover (St James New Church), Beckenham (St George), Newnham
17th Feb - Strood, Lee (St Margaret), Fairfield, Rainham, Westbrook, Maidstone (St Paul New), Cantebury (St George)
16th Feb - Elmsted, Brenzett, Snargate, Brookland, Snave, Alkham, Burmarsh, Whitstable (All Saints), Lyminge, Sellindge, Stelling, Smeeth, Lympne, Saltwood, St Margaret-at-Cliffe, Sandwich (St Peter), Waltham, St Mary in the Marsh, Ivychurch
15th Feb - Old Romney, Dymchurch, Lydd, Wittersham, Fairfield, Monks Horton, Swingfield, Bilsington, Newchurch, Newington-next-Hythe, Warehorne, Orlestone, Postling, Elham, Brabourne, Stowting, Ruckinge, Folkestone (Ss Mary & Eanswythe), Aldington, Cheriton, Hythe
12th Feb - Stone in Oxney, Sandwich (St Clement)

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:

Rev'd David Cawley (Margate)
Richard Offen (Perth, WA)
Chris Pickford (Kinver)
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.

Also to the two Bell Foundries:

The Whitechapel
Bell Foundry

John Taylor Bellfounders


Church Bells of the City of London	Church Bells of the City of Westminster	Ancient Society of College Youths