THE RINGS OF EIGHT |
 |
 |
 |
| All
Saints, Maidstone Kent's largest Parish Church and First Ring of Eight? There are records of 6 bells here in 1887 & 8 bells in 1719. The tenor was recast and the bells were rehung in 1678, so this is a plausible date for their augmentation to 8. |
Holy
Trinity, Dartford An early Ring of 8 dated 1702, although since recast. |
St
Mary the Virgin, Wingham The oldest complete ring of 8 bells in the county, dated 1720. |
| There have been 104 towers in Kent which have boasted rings of 8 at one time or another. Since then: 11 have since been augmented and 2 have been lost. |
| YEAR | TOWER | TENOR THEN | TENOR NOW | |
| 1687* | MAIDSTONE, All Saints | 30 cwt approx(?) | 32-0-20 | Augmented to 10: 1784. |
| 1701 | DEPTFORD, St Nicholas | 20-1-14 | 20-1-2 | Tenor & treble only left. |
| 1702 | DARTFORD, Holy Trinity | 1 8¾ cwt approx. |
18-2-1 | |
| 1718 | CRANBROOK, St Dunstan | Unknown |
21-2-15 | |
| 1720 | WINGHAM, St Mary the Virgin | 19-1-0 | 19-1-0 | All bells still there! |
| 1724 | DOVER, St Mary the Virgin | 16-3-26 |
1 5-2-9 |
|
| 1727 | CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL | 30 cwt approx. |
34-3-4 | 10 in 1802, 12 in 1923 |
| 1731 | GREENWICH, St Alfege | 25 cwt approx. | 23-2-14 | Augmented to 10: 1734. |
| 1734 | WYE, Ss Gregory & Martin | "26 cwt approx." | 19-1-8 | Augmented to 10: 1999. |
| 1736 | GRAVESEND, St George | 19¾ cwt approx. | 18-1-6 | |
| 1742 | HARRIETSHAM, St John Baptist | 12½ cwt approx. | 12-2-12 | |
| 1748 | FAVERSHAM, St Mary of Charity | 18 cwt approx. | 17-2-2 | |
| 1748 | NEW ROMNEY, St Nicholas | 18-0-14 | 15-1-13 | |
| 1751 | LENHAM, St Mary | 23-0-0 | 21-0-14 | |
| 1753 | CHIDDINGSTONE, SMV | 20 cwt approx. | 17-0-3 | |
| 1754 | WROTHAM, St George | 20 cwt approx. |
20-0-10 | |
| 1762 | ASHFORD, St Mary the Virgin | 22 cwt approx. | 21-2-22 | Augmented to 10: 1970. |
| 1763 | ELHAM, St Mary the Virgin | 15-2-11 | 13-2-15 | |
| 1766 | HEADCORN, Ss Peter & Paul | 21 cwt approx. | 21-0-5 | |
| 1766 | LEWISHAM, St Mary the Virgin | 15-2-16 | 21-1-14 | |
| 1769 | TENTERDEN, St Mildred | 30 cwt approx. | 27-3-23 | Heaviest ring of 8. |
| 1769 | SEVENOAKS, St Nicholas | 21-2-2 | 16-2-10 | |
| 1773 | BROMLEY, Ss Peter & Paul | 19¾ cwt approx. | 16-2-8 | |
| 1774 | TONBRIDGE, Ss Peter & Paul | 21 cwt approx. | 19-1-0 | |
| 1775 | GOUDHURST, St Mary the Virgin | 27 cwt approx. | 23¾ cwt approx. | |
| 1775 | HADLOW, St Mary | 13½ cwt approx. | 12-3-0 | |
| 1778 | FOLKESTONE, Ss Mary & Eanswythe | 22 cwt approx. | 25-1-5 | |
| 1778 | ASH NEXT SANDWICH, St Nicholas | Unknown | 21-3-0 | Augmented to 10: 1978. |
| 1779 | SANDWICH, St Peter | 15-2-9 | 15-2-9 | Unringable. |
| 1784 | BIDDENDEN, All Saints | 22½ cwt approx. | 22½ cwt approx. | |
| 1802 | BORDEN, Ss Peter & Paul | 22 cwt approx. | 22 cwt approx. | |
| 1802 | BENENDEN, St George | 20 cwt approx. | 18-0-24 | Augmented to 12: 2003. |
| 1802 | HYTHE, St Leonard | 18-2-0 | 19-3-3 | Augmented to 10: 1861. |
1 811 |
GILLINGHAM, St Mary Magdalene | 11-1-18 | 11-1-18 | |
| 1819 | ROLVENDEN, St Mary the Virgin | 16 cwt approx. | 15-0-7 | |
| 1821 | WOOLWICH, St Mary Magdalene | 13-3-6 | 12-3-6 | |
| 1823 | MARGATE, St John the Baptist | 26 cwt approx. | 21-2-3 | |
| 1837 | WESTERHAM, St Mary | 19-0-9 | 23-0-17 | |
| 1844 | CANTERBURY, St Stephen | 10-2-28 | 10-1-26 | |
1 846 |
FRITTENDEN, St Mary | 13 cwt approx. | 15-1-4 | |
| 1847 | HAWKHURST, St Laurence | 23-0-19 | 23-0-19 | |
| 1858 | CHISLEHURST, St Nicholas | 16-1-21 | 15-2-19 | |
| 1860 | CLIFFE AT HOO, St Helen | 14-2-18 | 14-2-18 | |
| 1874 | DEPTFORD, St John | 14-0-18 | 14-0-18 | |
| 1876 | CRAYFORD, St Paulinus | 12-1-10 | 11-2-15 | |
| 1880 | MERSHAM, St John the Baptist | 14 cwt approx. | 12-3-18 | |
| 1882 | ERITH, St John the Baptist | 16 cwt approx. | 16 cwt approx. | |
| 1883 | CHILHAM, St Mary | 19 cwt approx. | 17-2-0 | |
1 884 |
WEST MALLING, St Mary V | 12-1-2 | 10-1-9 | |
| 1885 | STAPLEHURST, All Saints | 21-2-13 | 19-2-7 | Augmented to 10: 1997. |
| 1885 | AYLESFORD, St Peter | 13-2-7 | 13-2-7 | |
| 1886 | HERNHILL, St Michael | 8½ cwt approx. | 7-1-10 | |
| 1886 | LEE, St Margaret | 14-1-13 | n/a | Now a chime of 16 |
1 886 |
TUNBRIDGE WELLS, St Peter | 11-2-2 | 14-0-3 | |
| 1887 | SPELDHURST, St Mary the Virgin | 13-1-26 | 13-1-26 | |
| 1890 | ST LAURENCE IN THANET | 17-0-21 | 14-1-19 | Augmented to 10: 1924. |
| 1890 | BOUGHTON UNDER BLEAN, Ss P&P | 12-1-12 | 1 1-0-6 |
|
| 1891 | OSPRINGE, Ss Peter & Paul | 17-1-8 | 17-1-8 | |
| 1891 | HYTHE, St Leonard | 19-2-23 | 19-3-3 | Reaugmented: 1992. |
| 1891 | BIRLING, All Saints | 8-0-22 | 6-3-16 | |
| 1892 | WALMER, St Mary | 18-2-12 | 18-0-9 | |
| 1892 | ST PETER IN THANET, St Peter | 14-3-9 |
13-2-22 | |
| 1896 | ROCHESTER, St Margaret | 10-3-9 | 10-3-9 | Unringable. |
| 1896 | EDENBRIDGE, Ss Peter & Paul | 14½ cwt approx. | 14-0-7 | |
| 1896 | PENSHURST, St John the Baptist | 17-2-11 | 17-2-11 | |
| 1897 | SITTINGBOURNE, St Michael | 20-1-6 | 19-0-6 | |
| 1898 | CHATHAM, Victoria Tower | 25-0-21 | 25-0-21 | |
| 1900 | APPLEDORE, Ss Peter & Paul | 12-0-15 | 12-0-15 | |
| 1900 | SELLING, St Mary the Virgin | 9-3-10 | 5-3-26 | |
| 1901 | BIRCHINGTON ON SEA, All Saints | 7-3-20 | 8-2-17 | |
| 1902 | BECKENHAM, St George | 14-2-18 | 14 cwt approx. | Augmented to 10: 1934. |
| 1903 | EYNSFORD, St Martin | 9-2-10 | 9-2-13 | |
| 1904 | SWANSCOMBE, Ss Peter & Paul | 18-0-5 | 18-0-5 | |
| 1904 | ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL | 26 cwt approx. | 30-0-14 | Augmented to 10: 1921. |
| 1904 | LYMINGE, Ss Mary & Eadburga | 18-0-11 | 15-3-25 | |
| 1907 | SHOREHAM, Ss Peter & Paul | 10-1-7 | 9-1-16 | |
| 1909 | MARDEN, St Michael & All Angels | 14-1-0 | 14-1-0 | |
| 1910 | BROMLEY COMMON, St Luke | 15-1-8 | 15-1-8 | |
| 1913 | RAINHAM, St Margaret | 18-0-20 | 18-0-20 | |
| 1915 | ERITH, Christ Church | 17-0-23 | 17-0-23 | |
| 1920 | FRINDSBURY, All Saints | 15-3-4 | 15-2-4 | |
| 1920 | NORTHFLEET, St Botolph | 16 cwt approx. | 16 cwt approx. | |
| 1920 | LINTON, St Nicholas | 15 cwt approx. | 15 cwt approx. | |
| 1923 | CHERITON, St Martin | 7-1-5 | 7-1-5 | |
| 1923 | TUNSTALL, St John the Baptist | 8-2-4 | 10-1-8 | |
| 1924 | BRENCHLEY, All Saints | 17-2-24 | 17-3-24 | |
| 1924 | ELTHAM, St John the Baptist | 10-2-24 | 10-2-24 | |
| 1926 | LYDD, All Saints | 15-2-7 | 15-2-7 | |
| 1930 | MILTON, Ss Peter & Paul | 11-3-2 | 11-3-2 | |
| 1933 | THROWLEY, St Michael A.A. | 12-1-8 | 12-1-8 | |
| 1935 | CHISLEHURST, Annunciation | 19-3-27 | 19-3-27 | |
| 1938 | BEXLEY, St Mary the Virgin | 7-2-6 | 7 -0-18 |
|
| 1949 | MEOPHAM, St John the Baptist | 12-1-10 | 12-1-10 | |
| 1955 | HORSMONDEN, St Margaret | 19-0-27 | 17-2-10 | |
| 1973 | WHITSTABLE, St Alphege | 3-1-13 | 3-1-13 | The lightest 8. |
| 1979 | EAST FARLEIGH, Parish Church | 7-3-0 | 7-3-0 | |
| 1979 | MAIDSTONE, St Michael A. A. | 6-1-24 | 6-1-24 | |
| 1987 | GREAT CHART, St Mary | 13-0-16 | 13-0-16 | |
| 1993 | BICKLEY, St George | 14-1-9 | 14-1-9 | |
| 1995 | HOO ST WERBURGH, St Werburgh | 15-3-6 | 15-3-6 | |
| 1998 | WITTERSHAM, St John Baptist | 16-2-8 | 16-2-8 | |
| 1998 | SHELDWICH, St James | 7-1-26 | 7-1-26 | |
| 2002 | BRABOURNE, St Mary the Virgin | 11-2-15 | 11-2-15 | |
| 2005 | BRASTED, St Martin | 9-2-2 | 9-2-2 | |
| 2007 | HORTON KIRBY, St Mary |
5-2-26 | 5-2-26 | |
| 2007 | CHEVENING, St Botolph |
10-1-13 | 10-1-13 | |
| 2008 |
EASTRY, St Mary the Virgin |
16-3-20 | 16-3-20 |
 |
St
Mildred, Tenterden Kent's Heaviest Ring of 8.
St Alphege, Whitstable |
 |