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Chelsfield
 

Chelsfield, St Martin of Tours

Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 Oct 2019

  • 8 bells hung for full circle ringing
  • Tenor: 10-3-14 in A♭.
  • Grid Ref: TQ479640
  • Rung from: Open Gallery
  • Frame: 1880 Gillett, Bland & Co., made of timber
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Rochester
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Lewisham
  • Building Listed Grade: II* Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

Details of the Bells
Bell Weight
(most recent)
(As received 1936)
(As dispatched 1936)		Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 5-0-625½" A♭ 2009 Taylors Eayre & Smith Flat Never
® 2 5-1-226⅛" G 2009 Taylors Eayre & Smith Flat Never
® 3 5-1-1027" F 2009 Taylors Eayre & Smith Flat Never
® 4 4-3-85-0-54-3-1628" E♭ 1672 John Hodson, Whitechapel Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank
® 5 5-0-105-1-45-0-1330⅛" D♭ 1672 John Hodson, Whitechapel Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank
® 6 6-2-06-2-56-2-232" C 1672 John Hodson, Whitechapel Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank
® 7 8-0-268-1-218-1-535¼" B♭ 1672 John Hodson, Whitechapel Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank
® Tenor 10-3-1411-0-1410-3-1539" A♭ 1672 John Hodson, Whitechapel Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Inscriptions

How the bells are tuned

Earlier bell
Bell Weight
(most recent)		DiameterNoteDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble of 64-2-1127"E1936Mears & StainbankNeverRecast 2009

History
1552 Record of 3 bells in the tower. [1]
1672 Bells recast into a ring of 5 by John Hodson.
1880 Bells quarter-turned and rehung by Gillett & Bland in a new frame.
1936 Bells retuned and a Treble was added to make 6 by Mears & Stainbank.
1962 Ringing gallery built.
1993 Bells rehung by John Taylor. They were rededicated on 28th February.
2009 The treble was replaced with a bell the more closely matched the Hodson back 5, and two trebles were added in a similar style to make a ring of 8. The work was done by Taylors Eayre & Smith. The old treble was passed to the Keltek Trust.
[1] Item iij bells in the steple suted of brasse. Item on hand bell of brasse. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552)

Articles

  • "St Martin of Tours, Chelsfield, Kent", Wilkins, Nicholas (The Ringing World) 25 August 1971
  • "The church on a gravelly knoll in Kent", Kemp, Brian (The Ringing World) 11 November 1994
  • "Three bells dedicated at Chelsfield", Barnes, John (The Ringing World) 3 December 2010
    		•

    Gallery

    From a picture hanging in the church.
    Photo: Chelsfield church
    The bells in the belfry when there were 6 there.
    Photo: Ringing Room

    Peal Boards
    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2011
    10 Sept 2011: 5040 Grandsire Triples (Welcome to Rector, Rev Paul Spreadbridge.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2013
    14 Sept 2013: 5040 Grandsire Triples (Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and in mem Rev Canon Leslie Virgo.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2011
    06 Jan 1974: 5040 Minor (4m) (Welcome to Rev Leslie Virgo.)
    03 Jan 2011: 5056 Virgo S Major (Retirement of Rev Leslie Virgo.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2009
    08 Nov 2009: 5040 Grandsire Triples (Half muffled on Remembrance Sunday.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2010
    30 Jan 2010: 5152 Chelsfield S Major (1st S Major on the bells.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2009
    07 Dec 2008: 5040 Doubles (1p/11m) (Last peal on the bells and farewell to the treble.)
    02 May 2009: 5088 Plain Bob Major (1st peal on the augmented ring.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Framed card Performance Board dated approx. 1999
    03 Jan 1999: 5040 Minor (6m) (25th anniversary of the inductino of Rev Leslie Virgo.)
    17 Apr 1999: 5040 Plain Bob Minor (18th birthday: Sally Davis.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Framed card Performance Board dated approx. 2000
    22 Jul 2000: 2000 Minor (2m) (Chelsfield Village Goose Fair.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1989
    22 Jul 1989: 5040 Plain Bob Minor (In mem Rev Lancelot Baker and ordination of Richard Body.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1974
    03 Jan 1974: 1440 Kent T B Minor (Induction of Rev Leslie Virgo.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1977
    07 Jun 1977: 5040 Minor (3m) (Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1981
    18 May 1980: 5040 Plain Bob Minor (Centenary of the Kent County Association.)
    26 Dec 1980: 5040 Minor (4m) (Centenary of the Kent County Association.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1953
    02 Jun 1953: 5040 Grandsire Doubles (Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.)

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated approx. 1993

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 2009

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Framed card Competition Certificate Board dated 1999

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Framed card Competition Certificate Board dated 2008

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Framed card Competition Certificate Board dated 1974

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Framed card Competition Certificate Board dated 2001

    Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 October 2019

    Recent Peals
    The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.
    2023-02-255056 Cambridge Surprise Major
    2022-10-285024 Bristol Surprise Major
    2022-07-305040 Doubles (9m,1p)
    2021-10-295024 Spliced Surprise Major (8m)
    2020-03-135090 Cambridge Surprise Major
    2019-12-245088 Yorkshire Surprise Major
    2019-10-255152 Spliced Surprise Major (4m)
    2019-09-285040 Surprise Minor
    2019-08-295088 Birthday Delight Major
    2019-05-285120 Spliced Surprise Major (4m)
    2018-12-175040 Grandsire Triples
    2018-11-145056 Chiddingstone Delight Major
    2018-08-225040 St Martin's Bob Triples
    2018-07-215088 Pudsey Surprise Major
    2017-11-185056 Spliced Surprise Major (10m)
    2017-10-275152 Glasgow Surprise Major
    2017-10-155056 Quedgeley Surprise Major
    2017-02-095088 Spliced Surprise Major
    2015-11-025024 Spliced Surprise Major (8 Methods)
    2014-11-295120 Bristol Surprise Major
    2014-10-275088 Alwalton Surprise Major
    2014-05-105088 Yorkshire Surprise Major
    2014-02-085024 Spliced Surprise Major
    2013-10-265088 Lessness Surprise Major
    2013-09-145040 Grandsire Triples
    Recent Quarter Peals
    The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.
    2023-05-071260 Doubles (3m)
    2023-05-062023 Doubles (4m)
    2023-04-211260 Doubles (5m)
    2022-12-181260 Doubles (1p,5m)
    2022-12-111260 Doubles (3m)
    2022-10-181260 Grandsire Triples
    2022-09-111260 St Martin's Bob Doubles
    2022-09-101260 Grandsire Triples
    2022-06-051260 Plain Bob Doubles
    2022-05-011350 Doubles (5m/p)
    2021-06-091260 Doubles (4m/p)
    2019-10-301312 Bristol Surprise Major
    2019-10-211260 Grandsire Triples
    2019-08-191280 Cambridge Surprise Major
    2019-08-131440 Spliced Surprise Minor (3m)
    2019-07-301440 Treble Bob Minor (2m)
    2019-07-231344 Plain Bob Major
    2019-06-301344 Plain Bob Major
    2019-06-301260 Grandsire Triples
    2019-06-071260 Doubles (4m)
    2019-05-171260 Doubles (4m)
    2019-05-061320 Cambridge Surprise Minor
    2019-02-181344 Plain Bob Major
    2019-02-111260 Kent Treble Bob and St Clements Cb Minor
    2019-01-301320 Surprise Minor (2m)
    Full list of peals on Bellboard here
    		 Full list of quarters on Bellboard here

    Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 21 March 2020