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Canterbury Cathedral, Oxford Tower
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Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
® | Treble | Crundale | 6-0-2 | 27¼" | G♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 2 | Alphege | 6-2-2 | 28¾" | F♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 3 | Thomas | 6-2-20 | 29½" | E♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 4 | Mary | 7-0-12 | 31" | D♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 5 | Ethelbert | 7-3-16 | 32½" | C♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 6 | Anselm | 8-0-12 | 33¼" | B♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 7 | Blaise | 8-3-24 | 35" | A♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 8 | John | 10-3-26 | 38" | G♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 9 | Llanfranc | 15-0-8 | 42½" | F♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 10 | Gabriel | 17-3-16 | 45" | E♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | 11 | Augustine | 24-2-10 | 50½" | D♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | Tenor | Trinity | 34-3-4 | 56½" | C♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
® | Extra Treble | Simon | 5-2-5 | 26" | A♯ | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never | |
® | Flat 6th | Ernulf | 8-1-16 | 34" | B | 1981 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Never |
Inscriptions |
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The ring of 12 replaced by the current ring |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | (As supplied) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble | 6-0-18 | 6-0-16 | 28⅞" | G | 1923 | Mears & Stainbank | Never | Recast 1981 | |
2 | 6-1-18 | 6-1-15 | 30" | F | 1923 | Mears & Stainbank | Never | Recast 1981 | |
3 | 6-3-16 | 6-3-24 | 31½" | E | 1802 | Thomas Mears I | Never | Recast 1981 | |
4 | 7-1-14 | 7-1-0 | 32" | D | 1802 | Thomas Mears I | Never | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 | |
5 | 7-1-8 | 7-1-17 | 34" | C | 1855 | George Mears & Co. | Never | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 | |
6 | 8-0-23 | 36" | B | 1727 | Samuel Knight | Never | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 | ||
7 | 8-3-25 | 38" | A | 1727 | Samuel Knight | Never | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 | ||
8 | 10-2-7 | 10-2-25 | 40" | G | 1855 | George Mears & Co. | Never | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 | |
9 | 12-2-6 | 43½" | F | 1727 | Samuel Knight | Never | Recast 1981 | ||
10 | 16-3-5 | 46½" | E | 1728 | Samuel Knight | Never | Recast 1981 | ||
11 | 21-3-2 | 51½" | D | 1727 | Samuel Knight | Never | Recast 1981 | ||
Tenor | 32-0-6 | 32-0-6 | 57" | C | 1951 | Mears & Stainbank | Never | Recast 1981 |
Prior Henry's bells from the Arundel Tower |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Date | Founder | Fate | |
Chapter Bell | 5½ cwt approx. | 1316 | Unknown | Unknown | |
1 | 20 cwt approx. | 1316 | Unknown | Unknown | |
2 | 22 cwt approx. | 1316 | Unknown | Unknown | |
3 | 24 cwt approx. | 1316 | Unknown | Unknown |
The set of six by John Bayle |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble | 8-0-18 | 1499 | John Bayle | Never | ||
2nd | 12-1-0 | 1499 | John Bayle | Never | ||
3rd | 15-1-9 | 1499 | John Bayle | Never | ||
4th | 18-0-1 | 1499 | John Bayle | Never | ||
5th | 25-1-5 | 1499 | John Bayle | Never | ||
Le Mariebelle | 33-0-22 | 1499 | John Bayle | Never | 4 of these bells were recast by Joseph Hatch in 1625. The resultant ring of six was sold to St Peter's Sandwich in 1726, at which point the tenor was recast by Samuel Knight (1727). The whole ring amounting to 55-1-6. |
The 1726/7 Samuel Knight Ring of Eight |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | (After 1981 tuning) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble | 7-1-14 | C | 1726 | Samuel Knight | Never | Recast 1854 | |||
2nd | 8-0-23 | 8-0-23 (A♯) | 36" | B | 1726 | Samuel Knight | 1981 Whitechapel | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 | |
3rd | 8-2-25 | 8-3-25 (G♯) | 38" | A | 1726 | Samuel Knight | 1981 Whitechapel | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 | |
4th | 11-0-24 | G | 1726 | Samuel Knight | Never | Recast 1854 | |||
5th | ? | F | 1726 | Samuel Knight | Never | Recast 1727 | |||
6th | ? | E | 1726 | Samuel Knight | Never | Recast 1728 | |||
7th | 21-3-2 | 51½" | D | 1726 | Samuel Knight | Recast 1981 | |||
Tenor | 30 cwt approx. | C | 1726 | Samuel Knight | Never | Recast 1778 |
Bells recast from the Samuel Knight octave |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
5th (of 8) | 12-2-6 | 43½" | F | 1727 | Samuel Knight | Recast 1981 | ||
6th (of 8) | 16-3-5 | 46½" | E | 1728 | Samuel Knight | Recast 1981 | ||
Tenor (of 8) | 28-1-0 | C | 1778 | Pack & Chapman | Never | Recast 1951 |
Augmentation to 10 bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | (As supplied in 1802) | (After tuning in 1981) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Fate | |
New treble (of 10) | 6-3-16 | E | 1802 | Thomas Mears I | Recast 1981 | ||||
New 2nd (of 10) | 7-1-14 | 6-3-24 | 6-3-0 | 32" | D | 1802 | Thomas Mears I | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 |
Bells recast from the ring of 10 |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | (As supplied 1855) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
3rd (of 8) | ? | 7-1-0 | C | 1854 | George Mears & Co. | Never | Recast 1855 | ||
6th (of 8) | ? | G | 1854 | George Mears & Co. | Never | Recast 1855 | |||
3rd (of 8) | 7-1-8 | 7-1-17 | 33¾" | C | 1855 | George Mears & Co. | 1981 Whitechapel | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 | |
6th (of 8) | 10-2-7 | 10-2-25 | 39½" | G | 1855 | George Mears & Co. | 1981 Whitechapel | Moved to the Arundel Tower in 1981 |
Augmentation to 12 bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | (As supplied in 1923) | (After tuning in 1981) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Fate | |
New treble (of 12) | 6-0-18 | 6-0-16 | 28⅞" | G | 1923 | Mears & Stainbank | Recast 1981 | ||
New 2nd (of 12) | 6-1-18 | 6-0-15 | 30" | F | 1923 | Mears & Stainbank | Recast 1981 |
Bell recast from the ring of 12 |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Tenor (of 12) | 32-0-6 | 57" | C | 1951 | Mears & Stainbank | Never | Recast 1981 |
Incarnations of Great Dunstan |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Great Dunstan | ? | 1459 | Unknown | Never | Recast 1499 | |
Great Dunstan | 64¼ cwt | 1499 | John Bayle | Never | Recast 1663 | |
Great Dunstan | 62-1-5 | 1663 | Michael Darbie | Never | Recast 1684 | |
Great Dunstan | 69-3-5 | 1684 | Christopher Hodson | Never | Recast 1762 |
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. | ||
1791 | There was an unusual performance on the 8 bells over a day period when a man played tunes on them in an ingeniuous form of "clocking". [1] | ||
1802 | The ring was augmented to 10 by Thomas Mears I with addition of 2 treble bells. The bells were reopened on 1 June 1902. [2] | ||
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. |
[1] | The admirers of bell-music in this city have for the last three days been entertained a man playing various tunes upon the fine peal of eight bells in our cathedral. The method used by this Campanalogist is, fastening the ends of the bell-ropes down to the floor the belfry, tightened so much as to bring the clappers nearly to touch the edge of each bell; then raising himself upon a platform in the centre with all the ropes within his reach, a slight blow from the hand or arm upon any of the ropes produces the note required. (Kentish Gazette (Tuesday 08 March 1791)) |
[2] | CANTERBURY, June 4. Tuesday being the day for a General Thanksgiving, it was devoutly observed throughout this city. The Mayor and Corporation went to the Cathedral in the morning, where a very excellent sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Wellfit The new musical peal of Bells, at the Cathedral, (consisting of ten) were opened on the occasion, which were rang several times in the course of the day. (Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal (Friday 04 June 1802)) |
The Belfry |
Photographs from various restorations |
Peal Boards |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2019 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Tom Winter, 25 May 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
![]() Photo: Dickon R Love, 29 December 2017 |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 22 March 2020 |