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CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

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OXFORD TOWER
ARUNDEL TOWER
CENTRAL TOWER
CAMPANILE

THE SOUTH WEST OR OXFORD TOWER

12 bells + extra treble and flat sixth
Tenor 34-3-4 in C sharp
Frame: 1981 Whitechapel
Upstairs Ringing Room
Also formerly known as the Chicheley, St George's or Dunstan Tower
Peals
Earlier Rings in this Tower

To find the door to ascend the tower, enter the Cathedral through the door shown at the bottom right of the picture. The tower door is on the left.

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Pitch

Cast

Founder

1

6-0-2

27¼"

 G sharp

1981

Whitechapel

2

6-2-2

28¾"

 F sharp

1981

Whitechapel

3

6-2-20

29½"

 E sharp

1981

Whitechapel

4

7-0-12

31"

 D sharp

1981

Whitechapel

5

7-3-16

32½"

 C sharp

1981

Whitechapel

6

8-0-12

33¼"

 B sharp

1981

Whitechapel

7

8-3-24

35"

 A sharp

1981

Whitechapel

8

10-3-26

38"

 G sharp

1981

Whitechapel

9

15-0-8

42½"

 F sharp

1981

Whitechapel

10

17-3-16

45"

 E sharp

1981

Whitechapel

11

24-2-10

50½"

 D sharp

1981

Whitechapel

12

34-3-4

56½"

 C sharp

1981

Whitechapel

Extra Treble

5-2-5

26"

 A sharp

1981

Whitechapel

Flat Sixth

8-1-16

34"

 B

1981

Whitechapel
1. CRUNDALE

A. D. 1923
KENT COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF CHANGE RINGERS
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF
THE MEMBERS WHO FELL IN
THE GREAT WAR.
1914 - 1918.

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 RECAST
A. D. 1923
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WHITECHAPEL

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2. ALPHEGE

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A. D. 1923.
K. C. A. C. R.
1914 - 1918.

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3. THOMAS

THOS. MEARS LONDON FECIT --------- ...... A.D. 1802. PACE REDDITA

 

RECAST
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4. MARY

THIS BELL WAS DONATED BY
THE EAST KENT FEDERATION
OF
WOMEN’S INSTITUTES
(horse symbol)
(WI symbol)
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5. ETHELBERT

GIVEN BY
THE RINGERS OF GREAT BRITAIN
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6. ANSELM

GIVEN BY PETER MARSH
SURVEYOR TO THE FABRIC
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7. BLAISE
 
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8. JOHN
 
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9. LLANFRANC

shield.jpg (966 bytes) IOHNNES GRANDORGE STP JOHNNES HANCOCKE STP SK 1727

GIVEN BY
THE FRIENDS OF CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

RECAST
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10. GABRIEL

shield.jpg (966 bytes) EDUARDUS TENISON STP HON - EDUARDUS FINCH AM SK FECIT 1728
 

RECAST
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11. AUGUSTINE

1726 shield.jpg (966 bytes) RADULPHUS BLOMER STP ELLAS SYDAL STP SK FECIT
 

RECAST
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12. TRINITY

1726 shield.jpg (966 bytes) RADULPHUS BLOMER STP ELLAS SYDAL STP SK FECIT

ROY
(coat of arms)
THIS BELL WAS GIVEN
TO MARK THE 80TH BIRTHDAY
OF
HENRY ROY PRATT BOORMAN
C.B.E., D.L., M.A., F.J.I.,
BY THE
STAFF AND DIRECTORS
OF THE
KENT MESSENGER

21ST SEPTEMBER, 1980
IN HONOUR OF THE BLESSED TRINITY

 

YE RINGERS ALL THAT PRIZE
YOUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
BE SOBER MERRY WISE
& YOU'LL THE SAME POSSESS

PACK & CHAPMAN OF LONDON
FECIT 1778

RECAST
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RECAST
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0. SIMON

K.C.A.C.R.
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1880 - 1980
CENTENARY BELL
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6b. ERNULF
 
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The bells were donated by the following::

Extra Treble

 Kent County Association of Change Ringers

Treble

 Anne Oakley and Helen Bintcliffe

2nd

 In memory of Edward James Mount

3rd

 The Queen's Regiment

4th

 East Kent Federation of Women's Institutes

5th

 The Bell Ringers of Great Britain

Flat 6th

 Mr Peter Marsh, A.R.I.B.A.

6th

 Mr F.E.Cleary, C.B.E., F.R.I.C.S.

7th

 The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral

8th

 The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral

9th

 The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral

10th

 Mr & Mrs Severn Joyce

11th

 The City of Canterbury

Tenor

 The Director & Staff of The Kent Messenger Group

HISTORY

1425

The Oxford Tower was built.

1430

 Great Dunstan (that used to hang in the Campanile) was recast.

1433

The bells from the Arundel Tower were transferred to the Oxford Tower. (The bells from the Angel Steeple then went to the Arundel Tower.)

1459

Great Dunstan was finally hallowed and hung in the Oxford Tower.

1499

 John Bayle cast "le Mariebelle" and 5 other bells and recast Great Dunstan.

1625

 Four of the Oxford Tower bells were recast and probably augmented to six.

1663

 Michael Darbie recast Great Dunstan.

1684

 Christopher Hodson recast Great Dunstan.

1726

 The bells in the Oxford Tower were sold to St Peter's, Sandwich.

1727

 Samuel Knight cast a ring of 8 for the Oxford Tower, recasting the 5th.
1728 Samuel Knight recast the 6th.
1758 An attempt was made to mend Great Dunstan with solder.

1762

 Lester, Pack & Chapman recast Great Dunstan.

1778

The Tenor was recast by Pack & Chapman.

1802

The ring was augmented to 10 by Thomas Mears I with addition of 2 treble bells.

1854

The 3rd & 6th were recast by Charles & George Mears, but found to be the wrong note, so they were recast again the following year.

1872

The Canterbury Chimes were designed and installed.

1892

Great Dunstan was rehung on a new steel girder headstock by Samuel B. Goslin of Bishopsgate.

1897

The bells were rehung by Thomas Blackbourne to Mr J. K. Jerram's design.

1923

The bells were augmented to 12 by Whitechapel with the addition of 2 treble bells given as a War Memorial for members of the Kent County Association.

1951

The Tenor was recast by Whitechapel and all the bells were rehung on ball bearings.

1981

 7 of the bells in the Oxford Tower were scrapped and a new ring of 12 with two semitone bells were cast and hung in the Oxford Tower in a new frame. Great Dunstan together with 5 of the old bells in the clock chime were hung in the Arundel Tower. Three cast iron framesides and two sets of fittings (presumably from the trebles) were reused at Tacolneston, Norfolk.

GALLERY
Viewed from above, the 8th is on the left, the extra treble at the bottom - both these bells are on the upper tier. The tenor may be seen in the top right. Again from above, the 3rd, 4th and 5th may be seen in a row. The bell on the upper tier at the extreme right is the flat 6th. From the side, the 8th (left) and extra treble may be seen on the top tier. The 5th and 6th may be seen at the bottom.
Photo 1981 Jim Hedgcock    
The tenor on the floor of the cathedral awaiting hanging in 1981.