Boughton Aluph

BOUGHTON ALUPH, All Saints

	Tower empty. Formerly 5 bells
	Tenor 13-2-10 in F sharp

Ashford District

	Retuning: Never subsequently retuned
	Formerly rung from the Chancel Crossing on the Ground Floor
	Bells removed from the tower and scrapped in 1952

DETAILS OF THE FORMER RING

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Note

Cast

Founder

1

4˝ cwt approx.

28˝"
C sharp
1653

William Hatch

2

5˝ cwt approx.

29"
B
1652

William Hatch

3

7ž cwt approx.

35"
A sharp
c.1510

William Culverden

4

8ž cwt approx.

37"
G sharp
1702

Richard Phelps

5

13-2-10

40˝"
F sharp
c.1540

William Oldfield

1. william hatch made me RB CW 1653

2.

william hatch made me EK CW
1652

3.

Sancte Paule Ora Pro Nobis Ą Ą x

4. THO: SPEED CH: WARDEN 1702 R: PHELPS FECIT

5.

DVLCIS SISTO MELIS VOCOR CAMPANA GABRIELIS
€

PLAN OF THE FRAME

Frame (as seen by David Cawley, 21st Oct, 1964.

Heads and Cills

Treble bearing into
south wall

Bearing never used

2nd Bearing into wall on south side (now removed)

East
West

The shaded area represents the cills reconstructed in 1954 with new timber.

Conjectural Plan of Frame and Tower with bells in situ - pre 1952

Trebles resting on gudgeons let into timber in south wall, now removed.
There are rope holes in the ceiling of the ground floor indicating from where they would have been rung.

HISTORY

1510

Bell cast by William Culverden.

c.1540

Tenor (of 4) cast by William Oldfield.

1552

Record of 4 bells in the tower.

1652-3

Bells augmented to 5 with two new bells from William Hatch. The old 3-bell frame was converted to accommodate the 2 new bells.

1702

4th (of 5) recast by Richard Phelps.

1887

Stahlschmidt reported the bells as being dilapidated and the treble being cracked.

1942

The church tower was damaged by a fire bomb.

1945

The belfry was reported to be in a terrible condition - the SW corner was badly burned by the bomb, the treble was broken at the lip (but still sounded fair) and the tenor was cracked.

1952

January

Bells controversially sold for scrap to Gillett & Johnston. Part of the tenor inscription band was saved by Ranald Clouston who later presented it to the Canterbury Heritage Centre for display. The metal was used for the St Nicholas Aberdeen Carillon.

1954

The frame was repaired, although no bells have hung in it ever since.

GALLERY

View of the church from the south east.

View of the church from the east. The view most people don't see - from the south side. This photo was taken in 1942 just prior to the incendiary damage to the tower. The tower was restored in 1954 but without the bells.

The door to the tower. The frame, now devoid of its ancient bells.

Stahlschmidt described this as "a grand old belfry in a very dilapidated condition". This is a postcard of the inside of the church taken in c. 1910. It shows the vast ringing area under the central tower and three of the ropes.

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Note	Cast	Founder
1	4˝ cwt approx.	28˝"	C sharp	1653	William Hatch
2	5˝ cwt approx.	29"	B	1652	William Hatch
3	7ž cwt approx.	35"	A sharp	c.1510	William Culverden
4	8ž cwt approx.	37"	G sharp	1702	Richard Phelps
5	13-2-10	40˝"	F sharp	c.1540	William Oldfield

East		West
The shaded area represents the cills reconstructed in 1954 with new timber.

1510		Bell cast by William Culverden.
c.1540		Tenor (of 4) cast by William Oldfield.
1552		Record of 4 bells in the tower.
1652-3		Bells augmented to 5 with two new bells from William Hatch. The old 3-bell frame was converted to accommodate the 2 new bells.
1702		4th (of 5) recast by Richard Phelps.
1887		Stahlschmidt reported the bells as being dilapidated and the treble being cracked.
1942		The church tower was damaged by a fire bomb.
1945		The belfry was reported to be in a terrible condition - the SW corner was badly burned by the bomb, the treble was broken at the lip (but still sounded fair) and the tenor was cracked.
1952	January	Bells controversially sold for scrap to Gillett & Johnston. Part of the tenor inscription band was saved by Ranald Clouston who later presented it to the Canterbury Heritage Centre for display. The metal was used for the St Nicholas Aberdeen Carillon.
1954		The frame was repaired, although no bells have hung in it ever since.


	View of the church from the south east.

View of the church from the east.	The view most people don't see - from the south side. This photo was taken in 1942 just prior to the incendiary damage to the tower. The tower was restored in 1954 but without the bells.

The door to the tower.	The frame, now devoid of its ancient bells.

Stahlschmidt described this as "a grand old belfry in a very dilapidated condition".	This is a postcard of the inside of the church taken in c. 1910. It shows the vast ringing area under the central tower and three of the ropes.