Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent

Yalding, Ss Peter & Paul

6 bells hung for full circle ringing
Tenor: 17-0-5 in E.
Grid Ref: TQ698500
Rung from: Ground Floor
Frame: 1978 Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Denomination: Church of England
Diocese (Anglican): Rochester
Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Maidstone
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	6-0-21	32½"	C♯	1696	Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell	Removed	1978 Whitechapel
®	2	7-1-27	35"	B	1696	Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell	Removed	1978 Whitechapel
®	3	8-3-20	37½"	A	1696	Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell	Removed	1978 Whitechapel
®	4	10-0-12	40"	G♯	1697	Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell	Removed	1978 Whitechapel
®	5	12-3-24	43½"	F♯	1759	Lester & Pack, Whitechapel	Removed	1978 Whitechapel
®	Tenor	17-0-5	48"	E	1696	Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell	Removed	1978 Whitechapel

® - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Frame

Bells

Year

Maker

Material

Truss(es)

Local
Layout

All bells

1978

Whitechapel Bell Foundry

Timber

6.A

6.1

Earlier bell

Bell		Weight (most recent)	Date	Founder	Retuned	Fate
5th (of 6)		14-0-13	1696	Philip Wightman	Never

History

1695		A fire in the corn chandler's property spread to the tower bringing both it and the bells down.
1696		A new ring of 6 was cast by Philip Wightman.
1759		5th was removed and its clapper was mended. The bell was recast by Lester & Pack.
1800		Work took place on the bells.
1847		Work took place on the bells.
1913		The bells were rehung by Alfred Bowell with new steel headstocks. They were quarter turned. The oak frame was strengthened with new timber and massive iron braces and tie bars. A rope guide was fitted as the draft was rather long. [1] [3]
1928		Bells again attended to.
1976	Oct.	All ringing stopped as the tower and frame were found to be unsafe. This necessitated a new ring beam to be installed.
1978		Bells retuned and rehung with new fittings in a new frame by Whitechapel hung lower in the tower.

[1]

To rehanging the six bell £94. Paid cq. 6 June 1913. (Bowell records, 10 May 1913)

[3]

BELL RESTORATIONS IN KENT. The grand old ring of six with a tenor of 18 cwt., in E, at Yalding, Kent, have been quarter-turned and rehung with steel headstocks and all modern fittings, by Mr. Alfred Bowell, of Ipswich. The old oak frame has been strengthened with new timber and massive iron braces and tie bars. Guides have also been fixed to steady the ropes in the rather long draft. On a recent evening several members of the Kent County Association met to try the bells from Maidstone, Boxley, Linton, Peckham, Hadlow, Horsmonder, Marden, etc. and 720 Kent Treble Bob, 720 Plain Bob, 360 Grandsire Minor, and 20 of Stedman Doubles were rung. All the visitors expressed their entire satisfaction with the "go" of the bells, and it is to be hoped that the local ringers will now take up change ringing, a thing impossible with the bells before they were rehung. (The Ringing World, 13 Jun 1913)

Articles

"St Peter and St Paul, Yalding, Kent", Author unknown (The Ringing World) 23 June 1978

"Ss Peter and Paul, Yalding, Kent", RAB (The Ringing World) 1 December 1978

Peal Boards

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1996
29 Jun 1996: 5040 Doubles (5m) (Tercententary of 4 of the bells)

Photo: Richard A Smith, 18 August 2018

Framed card Performance Board dated approx. 1976
11 Nov 1976: 5040 Doubles (3m) (Last peal before restoration.)