Editor: Dickon R. Love

LATEST SITE ADDITIONS Maidstone Towers Two discoveries have been recently made in Maidstone - two towers with one bell hung for ringing. Read about the installations at St Faith's (pictured here) and St Luke's. The fittings at the latter are in good condition. Inspections have also been made at other Maidstone towers including St Philip's and the Gillett & Johnston bell given by the County to HMS Kent has also been discovered on display in County Hall. Holy Trinity, Margate This was nearly a "Name that Tower" church. It is one of those magnificent towers that used to be there, but isn't any longer. Nor did the tower ever receive the ring of 8 bells that was promised. Read about it here. Ramsgate towers Read about two unringable "1 bell" towers in Ramsgate, both with interesting additions to the tower. St George's has a tubular chime, Christ Church has another bell. Articles on Quex & Kingsnorth Two new articles appear in the articles section. One by Richard Offen on The Squire's Toy is the story of the Waterloo Tower in Quex Park (originally appearing in the Ringing World in 1983, since updated). The other is the history of Kingsnorth bells published at the time of their dedication in 1977, by Alan Berry. Latest Full Pages 14th Oct - Seal Chart 31st Jan - West Farleigh 29th Jan - Maidstone (St Luke), Maidstone (St Faith), Maidstone (St Philip), Maidstone (County Hall) 14th Dec - Greatstone, Brasted Project Comes of Age 11th Dec - Herne Bay (St John the Evangelist), Herne Bay (Christ Church) 8th Oct - Upstreet (Grove Ferry Inn) 24th Mar - Plumstead (St Margaret), Broadstairs (Holy Trinity) 22nd Mar - Denton 21st Mar - Nettlestead, Reculver, Christ Church, Erith 27th Feb - Canterbury (St Augustine's Abbey) 15th Jan - Plumstead (St Nicholas) 2nd Jan - Brenchley 4th Dec - Ramsgate (Christ Church), Ramsgate (St George), Ringwould 30th Nov - Margate Holy Trinity (Old Church), Margate Holy Trinity (New Church), Whitstable St Peter Latest Partial Pages 21st Mar - Lamberhurst, Lydd, Minster in Sheppey, Queenborough 27th Feb - Nettlestead, Rochester (St Margaret) Other amendments/additions 31st Dec - Chevening 5th Nov - Lynsted 14th Oct - Horton Kirby, Lynsted, Whitstable (St Peter), Grain, Mereworth, Little Chart, Maidstone (St Michael), Eastwell, Gillett Lists, Ickham, Ightham, Stansted, Wickhambreaux, Snave, Kingsnorth, Godmersham, Waltham, Chartham, Addington, Ash-next-Sandwich, Aylesford, Boxley 31st Jan - Plumstead (St Margaret) 11th Jan - Bromley Common, Farnborough 30th Dec - Bekesbourne, Cudham 14th Dec - Murston, Graveney, Sundridge, Bekesbourne, Sidcup 13th Dec - Photos of the Upstreet (Grove Ferry) bells 11th Dec - Photos for Frittenden, Bickley, Perry Hill, Thanington, Ivychurch (DLC) 3rd Dec - Lydd - Stedman Triples recorded by Nick Davies, May 1981. 18th Oct - Eastry 14th Oct - Murston, Bromley 8th Oct - Gillett lists 4th Aug - Pictures of: Crundale, Canterbury (St Paul), Canterbury (St Mary Bredin new church), Harbledown (St Michael), Harbledown (St Nicholas), Graveney, Murston, Wittersham, Tonge, Preston by Faversham, Orlestone, Petham, Smeeth, Warehorne, Little Chart Old Church (RCO)

BELL RESTORATION NEWS St Mary, Horton Kirby The light ring of 6 bells has now been augmented to 8. St Mary, Eastry The 5 bells are being restored and augmented to 8. The new bells have already been cast and the job is nearing completion. Ss Peter & Paul, Lynsted The 5 bells here have been augmented to 6 with the addition of the clock bell from the old church of St George, Perry Hill (now demolished and rebuilt). Ss Botolph, Chevening This pleasant ring of 6 has now been augmented to 8 with the addition of 2 Whitechapel trebles. Details of the new bells now on the Chevening page. 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.) 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. STONE BY DARTFORD, St Mary - 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. St Nicholas, Deptford A new ring of 8 is to be installed at the church of St Nicholas, Deptford. This church had one of (if not the) first octaves in the county (1701/2 by Hadley and Newton), but they were removed in the 1950s (except for the treble and tenor). The church has completely restored the tower with gleaming new stonework. An appeal has now been launched to restore a ring of bells to the tower. The ring of 6 bells from St Paul's, Homerton, Middx are currently in storage with the Keltek Trust and are being bought by the church to hang in a new frame with 2 additional bells to make a ring of 8. They will be hung lower in the tower than the existing frame for the former 8. The Homerton bells were originally destined to replace the former ring of 8 bells in Walworth church (which themselves are now ringing at St Anne's, Limehouse). The bells have been bought from Keltek by the Kent CACR pending the work to hang them in this tower. GILLETT BELLS from CROYDON 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 (Leicester) Richard Offen (Perth, WA) Chris Pickford (Stourbridge) Brian Butcher (Hythe) Peter Romney (Hadlow) and the late Nick Davies (Lydd) 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: Taylors, Eayre & Smith Loughborough The Whitechapel Bell Foundry

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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 R. Love.