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New Romney
 

New Romney, St Nicholas


Photo: Richard Offen, 2005

  • 8 bells hung for full circle ringing and a sanctus bell
  • Tenor: 15-1-13 in E.
  • Grid Ref: TR065247
  • Anticlockwise
  • Rung from: Upstairs Ringing Room
  • Frame: 1748 Robert Catlin, strengthened by Whitechapel in 1975.
  • 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 supplied 1909)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 4-3-728" E 1809 Thomas Mears & Son Removed 1975 Whitechapel
® 2 4-3-1429⅛" D♯ 1784 Chapman & Mears, Whitechapel Removed 1975 Whitechapel
® 3 5-3-2631⅜" C♯ 1805 Thomas Mears & Son Removed 1975 Whitechapel
® 4 6-0-16-2-233" B 1909 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1975 Whitechapel
® 5 8-0-2235¾" A 1776 Pack & Chapman, Whitechapel Removed 1975 Whitechapel
® 6 8-1-2637¾" G♯ 1776 Pack & Chapman, Whitechapel Removed 1975 Whitechapel
® 7 11-1-311-3-1941½" F♯ 1909 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1975 Whitechapel
® Tenor 15-1-1316-1-445¾" E 1909 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1975 Whitechapel
҂ Sanctus 4 cwt approx.27⅞" 1450 Unknown Never

®  - Hung for full circle ringing
҂  - Hung for swing chiming

Bellframes

Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
1 All bells 1748 Robert Catlin, Holborn Timber

Inscriptions

The 1748 Ring of Eight

Bell Weight
(most recent)
DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble (of 8)1748Robert CatlinNeverRecast in 1809
2nd (of 8)1748Robert CatlinNeverRecast in 1784
3rd (of 8)1748Robert CatlinNeverRecast in 1805
4th (of 8)1748Robert CatlinNeverRecast in 1805
5th (of 8)1748Robert CatlinNeverRecast in 1776
6th (of 8)1748Robert CatlinNeverRecast in 1776
7th (of 8)1748Robert CatlinNeverRecast in 1805
Tenor (of 8)16-3-947"1748Robert CatlinNeverRecast in 1909

Later recasts

Bell Weight
(most recent)
DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
4th (of 8)7-2-834"1805Thomas Mears INeverRecast in 1909
5th (of 8)12-2-2043"1805Thomas Mears INeverRecast in 1909

Prior to 1748

Bell DateFounderRetunedFate
Treble (of 6)1685John HodsonNeverFounder? Recast in 1748.
2nd (of 6)UnknownRecast in 1748
3rd (of 6)UnknownRecast in 1748
4th (of 6)UnknownRecast in 1748
5th (of 6)UnknownRecast in 1748
Tenor (of 6)UnknownRecast in 1748

History

c 1450 A small blank bell was supplied to All Saints, Hope church. The founder is unknown but probably a London founder.
1549 Tradition says that 5 bells from St Martin's, New Romney, weighing 46 cwt, were transfered to St Nicholas. This is not true.
1685 The bells were rehung by John Hodson. There used to be 5 bells in the tower, although at this time it is known that there were 6. It is possible that Hodson augmented the 5 with the 6th bell in this year.
1748 November A new ring of 8 bells was cast by Robert Catlin and hung in a new anticlockwise frame. These bells probably post date those cast for Faversham in the same year by Catlin.
1776 5th and 6th recast by Pack & Chapman.
1784 2nd recast by Chapman & Mears.
1805 The 3rd, 4th and 7th were recast by Thomas Mears I and the whole ring was rehung by Edward Simmons. The bells were opened on 14 Oct by the Aldington and Hythe ringers. [1]
1809 Treble recast by Thomas Mears I.
1887 Record of the 8 bells in the tower and an unhung bell in storage from All Saints, Hope.
1909 Rehung by Mears & Stainbank. The 4th, 7th and tenor were recast. The old bell from All Saints, Hope was hung as a Sanctus bell.
1968 The bell from All Saints, Hope was transferred to New Romney as a Sanctus bell.
1975 Bells retuned and rehung in the Catlin frame by Whitechapel.
1976 Architect gave approval for the bells to be rung.
1994 Easter Bells rung again after a long period of silence.
[1] RINGING, AT NEW ROMNEY. ON Monday next, the 14th of October, 1805, will opened A Peal of Eight Bells, by the Aldington and Hythe Ringers.Three bells have been recently re-cast by Mr. Thomas Mears, and the whole peal re-hung by Mr Edward Simmons, both of London. A good Ordinary at the Ship Inn, at one o'clock. (Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal (Friday 11 October 1805))

Articles

  • "Good news from Romney Marsh", Davies, Nicholas J (The Ringing World) 20 June 1994
  • Gallery


    The uninscribed 15th Century chiming bell that came originally from All Saints, Hope, Kent. 1968
    Photo: David Cawley, 1968

    View of the bells from above.
    Photo: Ollie Watson, Aug 2021

    Peal Boards

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2012
    16 Jan 2012: 5040 Grandsire Triples (Attempted to mark the centenary of the 1st local band peal but was lost halfway.)

    Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 1 May 2017

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2009
    31 Aug 2009: 5088 New Romney Delight Major (To celebrate the restoration of the church and tower.)

    Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 1 May 2017

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2006
    29 Jul 2006: 5056 Plain Bob Major (To celebrate the 80th borthday of HM Queen Elizabeth II.)

    Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 1 May 2017

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2012
    16 Jan 1912: 5040 Grandsire Triples (The first local band peal on the bells.)

    Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 1 May 2017

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1909
    17 Apr 1909: 5040 Grandsire Triples

    Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 1 May 2017

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1904
    29 Oct 1904: 5040 Grandsire Triples

    Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 1 May 2017

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1903
    28 Nov 1903: 5040 Grandsire Triples

    Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 1 May 2017

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2002
    22 Nov 1743: (1st ringing on the bells.)
    26 Nov 1748: 5040 Grandsire Triples (1st peal in the tower and on the bells.)
    02 Jan 1749: 5040 Plain Bob Major (1st peal of major in the tower.)
    31 May 1762: 5184 Oxford Treble Bob Major (1st peal of treble bob in the tower.)

    Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 1 May 2017



    Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 5 September 2021