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Canterbury, St Alphege


Photo: Dickon R Love, 11 Sept 2020

  • 6 bells hung for full circle ringing
  • Tenor: 7½ cwt approx in B.
  • Grid Ref: TR149580
  • Rung from: Upstairs Ringing Room
  • Frame: 1888 Samuel B Goslin, installed as a 6 bell frame
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Canterbury
  • Building Listed Grade: II* Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 2¾ cwt approx23" G♯ Unknown Removed Never
® 2 3¼ cwt approx25⅛" F♯ 1894 Samuel B. Goslin, Bishopsgate Flat Never
® 3 4¼ cwt approx27½" E 1893 Samuel B. Goslin, Bishopsgate Flat Never
® 4 3¾ cwt approx28½" D♯ 1692 John Hodson, Whitechapel Conventional Never
® 5 5¼ cwt approx30½" C♯ Unknown Conventional Never
® Tenor 7½ cwt approx33¹⁵⁄₁₆" B 1616 Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent Conventional Never

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
1 All bells 1888 Samuel B. Goslin, Bishopsgate Timber
6.A
6.1

Inscriptions

How the bells are tuned

History

c 1450 Present 5th cast.
1552 Record of 4 bells in the tower.
1616 Present tenor cast.
1692 Present 3rd cast.
c 1750 A clock bell is cast for All Saints' church. This is destined to become the treble of the ring of 6 at St Alphege.
1888 The 3 bells rehung in a new frame for 6 by Samuel Goslin. The top of the tower was replaced.
1893 Ring augmented to 4 with a new treble from Samuel Goslin.
1894 Ring again augmented with one bell cast by Samuel Goslin and the clock bell from All Saints' church. The bells were rung from the ground floor. They were dedicated on 26th September,
1931 Rehung by Alfred Bowell. The ringing chamber was moved to the first floor. [1]
1957 Bells overhauled by the King's School Society of Ringers and ringing resumed after a silence of some 20 years.
1969 The bells were overhauled by the KCACR and the tower was completely cleared of vast quantities of lumber.
1982 7th April Church declared redundant
1983 The church became the Urban Studies Centre. Some years later the name changed to Canterbury Environment Centre.
1992 Ringing resumed from the intermediate chamber, the old ringing chamber having become an office.
2018 The ringing chamber was returned to the first floor, co-existing with the office.
[1] To new gudgeons and bearings and overhauling the six bells £60. Extra 2 new stocks & ironwork £3. Total £63. Paid by money orders 1 May 1931. (Bowell records, 31st Mar 1931)

Gallery


The church as it appeared in c.1826 (E J Langdon). Canterbury Cathedral is in the background.
Photo: David Cawley collection.

The church photographed from the top of the Arundel Tower of Canterbury Cathedral.
Photo: Dickon R Love, c.1990

The staircase to the ringing room, which was restored to use in 2020.
Photo: Dickon R Love, 11 Sept 2020

The ringing room just after it moved back to the 1st floor office.
Photo: Simon Adams, 2018

Goslin's timberwork in the intermediate chamber (for some time used as the ringing room).
Photo: Simon Adams, 2018


Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 25 September 2020