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Adisham
 

Adisham, Holy Innocents


Photo: Dickon Love, Oct 2006

  • 4 bells hung for full circle ringing, some of which are unhung
  • Tenor: 8¼ cwt approx. in B♭.
  • Grid Ref: TR227542
  • Only the tenor is hung, the others are stored in the tower
  • Frame: Dated c. 1600. Side frame trusses braced king-post with long heads
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
    Archdeaconry (Anglican): Canterbury
    Deanery (Anglican): East Bridge
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Canterbury
  • Building Listed Grade: I Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 4½ cwt approx.28" E♭ 1670 Thomas Palmar I Conventional Never
® 2 5½ cwt approx.31¼" D 1670 Thomas Palmar I Conventional Never
® 3 6½ cwt approx.32⅝" C 1670 Thomas Palmar I Conventional Never
Tenor 8¼ cwt approx.35⅜" B♭ John Walgrave, London Conventional Never

®  - Hung for full circle ringing
 - Hung dead

Inscriptions

History

1418 -1440 Current tenor cast.
1552 Record of 3 bells in the tower. [1]
1670 Current front 3 cast.
1757 Record of 4 bells. [2]
1880 Bells rehung and frame strengthened.
1957 Mears & Stainbank inspected the tower and bells. They stated that the bells were out of tune and the 3rd was of conspicuously poor tone. They added "The fittings have been renewed in more recent times but apart from the wheels they are not in serviceable condition. The frame, probably late 17th century is riddled with beetle, worm and decay and is quite unserviceable; various struts and supports have been added from time to time, but very few are doing any good at all."
1958 RWM Clouston reported that bells l, 3, 4 swung E/W in a straight line with the tenor in the centre, with the 2nd swinging N/S in a long pit at right angles. By that time all the bells were being 'clocked'. He dates the frame c1600 or so. Side frame trusses being braced king-post with long heads. "The joints of the side frames look fairly good, but the joints in the pit ends in the top and bottom sills are poor. The frame was much clamped with iron when the bells were rehung c1880. The support of the frame via brackets is extremely ricketty." The front 3 bells were lowered to the ground for safety leaving a single bell rehung dead by Mears for chiming.
1959 Nick Davies recorded that it was then about 50 years since the bells were last rung (i.e. c.1900). Those who had rung there told him and David Cawley that artificial light always had to be brought for ringing. There are no windows in the former ringing chamber. The layout of the frame was similar to Westwell. He also notes that the bells are in an approximately diatonic scale.
1980 John Taylor & Co estimated for restoring and rehanging the bells in a cast iron frame for 6, with alternatives for ringing from the ground floor and enabling the bells to be brought lower in the tower.
1983 The 3 old bells were lifted back to the safety of the tower by the K.C.A.
1998 Bells stored locally pending a project to rehang then in a frame from Sheldwich and augmented to 6 with 2 trebles by Whitechapel. The frames were returned and project abandoned.
[1] Item in the stepyll there iij bells. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552)
[2] "This Church is a very fair, ‘tho not large, Building, of Flints. It consists of a Chancel and Body, both cover’d with Lead - and a South and North Transept, coverd with Tyle. The Tower stands in ye Middle. In it hang 4 Bells, with ye following Inscriptions. 1. Thomas Palmer made Me. Peter Du Moulin, D.D. Rectr. Of Adisham 1670. 2. Thomas Palmer made Me. Peter Du Moulin, D.D. Rectr. Of Adisham 1670. 3. Thomas Palmer made Me. Peter Du Moulin, D.D. Rectr. Of Adisham 1670. 4. Magdalena Campana Celis Melodia Nomen." (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1758)



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