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Kingsnorth
 

Kingsnorth, St Michael


Photo: Richard Offen, 2006

  • 6 bells hung for full circle ringing
  • Tenor: 8-1-6 in A.
  • Grid Ref: TR006392
  • Rung from: Glazed Gallery
  • Frame: 1900 Mears & Stainbank framesides from Tunstall. Designed and built by members of KCACR on a steel foundation fabricated at Ashford Railway Works.
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
    Archdeaconry (Anglican): Ashford
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Ashford
  • Building Listed Grade: I Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

  • Sound clip of the ring of bells.(Mark Chittenden-Pile)

Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)

(As received 1977)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 2-3-1323¾" F♯ 1976 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 2 3-1-125⅜" E 1695 James Bartlett, Whitechapel Conventional 1977 Whitechapel
® 3 3-3-174-1-2127¾" D 1728 Samuel Knight, Southwark Removed 1977 Whitechapel
® 4 4-1-629⅜" C♯ 1914 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1977 Whitechapel
® 5 6-1-2532¾" B 1976 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® Tenor 8-1-636½" A 1654 William Hatch Conventional 1977 Whitechapel

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
1 All bells 1900 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel

Inscriptions

The original Samuel Knight ring of five

Bell Weight
(most recent)
DiameterNoteDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble4-1-2127¹³⁄₁₆"D1728Samuel KnightNeverNow the 3rd in the present ring
2nd4-2-2128¹³⁄₁₆"C♯1727Samuel KnightNeverMelted down 1976
3rd5-0-2130¹¹⁄₁₆"B1727Samuel KnightNeverMelted down 1976
4th6-2-633⅞"A1727Samuel KnightNeverMelted down 1976
Tenor10-0-038³⁄₁₆"G1728Samuel KnightNeverMelted down 1976

History

1552 Record of 3 bells.
1654 Tenor bell cast for St Nicholas, Rochester by Joseph Hatch.
1695 Treble bell cast for St Nicholas, Rochester by James Bartlett.
1727 -8 Ring of 5 cast by Samuel Knight in the Lydian scale.
1758 Record of 5 bells in the tower. [1]
1900 Bell frame made for the six bells at Tunstall.
1914 Middle bell added to St Nicholas, Rochester by Mears & Stainbank.
1969 The 5 bells were made ringable for short periods of time after work by Mr B. Johnson of Smarden.
1976 The 3 bells from St Nicholas, Rochester were incorporated as bells 2, 4, 6 of a new ring of 6. The treble of the old 5 became the 3rd. The other bells were recast into bells 1 and 5 by Whitechapel. The bells at Tunstall were rehung in a new frame a year earlier. The parish gave their old frame to Kingsnorth for their bells. The frame was designed by the KCACR (Alan Berry), built at Ashford Railway Works and all the work in the tower (including building the ringing gallery with the old clappers in the balustrade) was carried out by Alan Berry, Nick Davies, Keith Davis, David Joyce, Dawn Petts and Richard Offen. The old tenor was kept for a while as a possible replacement for the cracked 7th at Boughton-under-Blean, but it proved too large.
[1] "In The Tower, which is at ye West End, hang 5 Musicall Bells, with the following Inscriptions. 1. Praise The Lord Your King. 1728. 2. Anthony Jarvis, C.W. S.K. fecit 1727. 3. John Taylor, C.W. S.K. fecit. 1727. 4. Samuel Knight fecit. 1727. 5. Thomas Reader, Rector. S.K. made Me, 1728." (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1758)

Articles

  • "The Bells of Kingsnorth", Berry, Alan P S (The Ringing World) 1 January 1977
  • Gallery


    Work during the 1976 restoration.
    Photo: Richard Offen, 1976

    The 5th in 1976.
    Photo: Richard Offen, 1976

    The tenor in 1976.
    Photo: Richard Offen, 1976

    The treble bell before hanging.
    Photo: Richard Offen, 1976

    The tenor on its way up.
    Photo: Richard Offen, 1976

    The tenor being hoisted up.
    Photo: Richard Offen, 1976

    The tenor being hoisted up.
    Photo: Richard Offen, 1976


    Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 29 May 2023