Westwell, St Mary
Photo: Richard Offen, 2007 |
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Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
® | 1 | 6 cwt approx. | 32⅛" | 1630 | John Wilnar, Borden, Kent | Never | |||
® | 2 | 8 cwt approx. | 34½" | 1609 | Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent | Never | |||
® | 3 | 10 cwt approx. | 38⅜" | 1616 | Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent | Never | |||
® | 4 | 12 cwt approx. | 42¹⁄₁₆" | William Oldfield | Conventional | Never |
Inscriptions |
History |
1552 | Record of 4 bells. [1] | ||
1609 | 2nd recast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1616 | 3rd recast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1630 | Treble recast by John Wilnar. | ||
1758 | Record of 4 bells in the tower. [2] | ||
1913 | Fundraising for £250 was published in the local newspapers citing a scheme to mend the cracked 3rd and augment the bells to six. [3] | ||
1968 | Plans were laid to restore the bells (mending the cracked 3rd) and augment them to 6, although this never happened. | ||
2009 | A new scheme was approved to install a light six under the existing frame, maintaining the old tenor for swing chiming as a bourdon. This scheme has since gone quiet. |
[1] | Item iiij ryngyng bells in the bell howse. Item one bell over the Chauncell. Item ij smalle hand bells. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
[2] | This Church, which is pretty Large, consists of The Great, North, and South Chancells, The Body and 2 Side Isles - The Pillars between which are very beautyfull. In a low Shingled Spire, at the West End, hang 4 Bells. 1. John Willnar made Me. 1630. 2. Joseph Hatch made Me. 1602. 3. Joseph Hatch made Me. 1616. 4. Has no Inscription. (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1758) |
[3] | BELL RESTORATIONS IN KENT. At Westwell, a small village three miles from Ashford, a scheme has for some time been on foot for raising £250 for repairing and augmenting the church bells. There are four bells in the pretty little steeple, one of them being cracked. (The Ringing World, 16 May 1913) |
Gallery |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |