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Dover, Our Lady of Pity and St Martin (RC)

  • Formerly single bell, ½ cwt approx.
  • Formerly single bell, ½ cwt approx. transferred to Our Lady of Dover, Buckland Valley. Church closed 1940, sold 1960.
  • Grid Ref: TR317410
  • Formerly Roman Catholic church, building sold 1960 and bell transferred

Prior to 1960
Bell Weight
(most recent)		DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
Single bell0-2-013"1904Mears & StainbankNeverTransferred to Our Lady of Dover, Buckland Valley

History
1904 A bell was cast for the planned new Roman Catholic church in Dover, by Mears & Stainbank. The bell was hung from a bracket frame attached to the building.
1906 The church of St Mary of Pity and St Martin was consecrated by the Bishop of Southwark on 29 March. In the afternoon of that day the Bishop also (specifically) dedicated the bell. [1] [2]
1940 The church closed.
1960 The building was sold.
1982 The bell from Our Lady and St Martin was transferred to the new Roman Catholic church established in Buckland Valley, dedicated to St Mary of Dover. Estimates for hanging it were obtained from Whitechapel and Taylor's, but the work was not proceeded with and the bell remained in store.
[1] DOVER: OPENING OF ST. MARY AND ST. MARTIN'S NEW CHURCH - This new church in Snargate-street was opened by the Bishop of Southwark, on Thursday in last week, in the presence of a large gathering of people. ... The Dover Standard, describing the new building, says that, though plain without, particular interest attaches to it from the fact that the altar end of the church has been hewn out of the cliffs at the rear of Snargate-street, and in keeping with this the decoration of the interior has been designed to exactly imitate that of the ancient Catacombs of Rome, which is the earliest form of Christian decoration. The walls of the interior are finished with cement, and at periods are relieved by columns standing out from the face. There are no windows, but the building is lighted by a skylight which occupies the entire length of the roof. The roof beams are decorated in a style resembling the early Christan basilicas. At the farther end of the church the altar stands before an apse, where the designs imitative of the Catacombs are depicted, presenting the words "Ipse Est Dominus Deus Noster Nos Autem Populus Eius et Oves Pascuae Eius." The design of the altar rails is also in keeping with the remainder of the decorative work, and is taken from the common origin - the Catacombs. The flooring of the church is of wooden blocks. The church will be capble of holding about 250 or 300 people, and was built by Mr. Geo. Munro, to the designs of Messrs. Bowles and Hawkins, the architects. (Tablet - Saturday 14 April 1906)
[2] NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH OPENED BY THE BISHOP OF SOUTHWARK. The new Catholic Church of St. Mary and St. Martin, in Snargate Street, was opened yesterday by the Bishop of Southwark, the Right Rev. Peter Amigo. ... The ceremony of blessing the bell was performed by the Bishop in the afternoon, in the presence of a large congregation. The Deacon was the Rev Father Limpen, rector of Deal, and the sub-Deacon, the Rev. Father Rogers, Chaplain to the Forces at Shorncliffe. The Rev. Fathers Laws and Kirwan also assisted. (Dover Express - Friday 30 March 1906)


Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 17 June 2020