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Staplehurst
 

Staplehurst, All Saints


Photo: Dickon Love

  • 10 bells hung for full circle ringing
  • Tenor: 19-2-7 in E♭.
  • Grid Ref: TQ786429
  • Rung from: Upstairs Ringing Room
  • Frame: 1996 Whitechapel Bell Foundry
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
    Archdeaconry (Anglican): Maidstone
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Maidstone
  • Building Listed Grade: I Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

  • Sound clip of the ring of 10 bells.(Dickon R Love, 13 Apr 2002)

Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)

(As dispatched in 1885)

(As received in 1885)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 5-0-527" G 1996 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 2 5-0-2728" F 1996 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Flat Never
® 3 5-1-255-3-1930" E♭ 1885 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1996 Whitechapel
® 4 5-3-196-2-1331¼" D 1885 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1996 Whitechapel
® 5 6-2-87-0-632⅝" C 1885 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1996 Whitechapel
® 6 7-1-268-2-635½" B♭ 1885 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1996 Whitechapel
® 7 8-2-259-1-2737⅝" A♭ 1885 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1996 Whitechapel
® 8 11-0-1312-1-1840¼" G 1885 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1996 Whitechapel
® 9 13-3-1915-2-815-2-1444½" F 1605 Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent Removed 1996 Whitechapel
® Tenor 19-2-721-2-1348⅝" E♭ 1885 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Removed 1996 Whitechapel

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Position
Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
Lower tier 1 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 1996 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Steel

Upper tier 2 3 1996 Whitechapel Bell Foundry Steel

Inscriptions

The earlier ring of five

Bell Weight
(most recent)
DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble (of 5)8-1-034"1748Thomas LesterNeverRecast 1885
2nd (of 5)8-2-1437"1663William HatchNeverRecast 1885
3rd (of 5)11-3-2041"1594Robert MotNeverReplaced & stored at WBF 1885 Scrapped 1939.
4th (of 5)15-2-844½"1605Joseph HatchNeverThe current 9th
Tenor (of 5)21-0-649½"1649John Palmar INeverRecast 1885. Palmar I or II?

History

1594 Bell cast by Robert Mot (3rd of 4).
1605 4th (of 5) cast by Joseph Hatch.
1649 Tenor (of 5) cast by John Palmar.
1663 2nd (of 5) cast by William Hatch.
1748 Treble (of 5) cast by Thomas Lester.
1885 The treble, 2nd, 3rd and tenor were recast and 3 bells were added to make 8 bells by Mears & Stainbank. The 1594 bell was kept at Whitechapel as a museum piece. The 7th shows signs of lathe tuning in 1885. They were dedicated on St Mark's Day.
1921 Bells rehung by Alfred Bowell. [1]
1939 The old Robert Mot tenor at Whitechapel was finally scrapped as there was a shortage of bell metal.
1973 Tower made safe for the bells to ring again. The work was done in memory of Alfred James Walker M.A. Rector 1933-51.
1996 Bells retuned with 2 new trebles added to make 10 by Whitechapel.
1997 The 10 bells were hung in a new frame.
[1] To rehanging the eight bells £100. Paid cq. 21 Nov 1921. (Bowell records, 4 Nov 1921)

Articles

  • "Down and out: Staplehurst's bells go for restoration at last", Barclay. Roy A (The Ringing World) 24 October 1997
  • Peal Boards

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1887
    31 Oct 1887: 5040 Grandsire Triples (First peal on the bells and first by the local band.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated 1889
    04 Mar 1889: 5040 Grandsire Triples

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1889
    08 Jul 1889: 5040 Grandsire Triples (39th birthday of Mr T V Colvin.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1890
    18 Jan 1890: 5040 Stedman Triples (1st peal of Stedman on the bells.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1890
    26 May 1890: 5040 Grandsire Triples

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1922
    25 Nov 1922: 5040 Grandsire Triples

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1997
    29 Dec 1997: 5039 Grandsire Caters (1st peal on the bells since augmentation.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2001
    19 May 2001: 5039 Grandsire Caters (50th birthday of Christopher Bassett.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2002
    10 Aug 2002: 5067 Stedman Caters (Silver wedding of Christopher and Susan Bassett.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2010
    17 Apr 2010: 5040 Isleworth Surprise Royal (18th birthday of Adam Brady.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2011
    08 Jan 2011: 5040 Cambridge Surprise Royal (Farewell to the Revd Canon Gill Calver, Rector.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 5 August 2015

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2015
    18 Apr 2015: 5000 Plain Bob Royal (100th peal on the bells.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 26 March 2017

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2015
    08 May 2015: 5120 Bristol Surprise Major (A wedding compliment to Becky E Mahoney and Stephen P Bassett.)

    Photo: Daniel Brady, 26 March 2017



    Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 1 April 2016