Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent

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Tunstall

Tunstall, St John the Baptist

8 bells hung for full circle ringing
Tenor: 10-1-8 in G.
Grid Ref: TQ895619
Complete ring cast at the same time
Rung from: Ground Floor
Frame: 1976 Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Denomination: Church of England
Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
Archdeaconry (Anglican): Maidstone
Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Rochester
Building Listed Grade: I Click for Heritage details.
Peals rung at the tower

♫ A recording of the bells between retuning in 1975 and recasting in 1995, taken from the last peal onthe bells.(Dickon R Love, 1995)

♫ The clock chime on the old bells.(Dickon R Love, 1995)

♫ A recording taken from the first peal on the bells.(Timothy F Dean, Dec 2003)

Details of the Bells

	Bell		Weight (most recent)	Diameter	Note	Date	Founder	Canons	Retuned
®	Treble	Durham	4-0-0	25"	G	1995	John Taylor & Co., Loughborough	Flat	Never
®	2	Elizabeth	4-0-2	25½"	F♯	1995	John Taylor & Co., Loughborough	Flat	Never
®	3	David	4-1-0	26½"	E	1995	John Taylor & Co., Loughborough	Flat	Never
®	4	Julie	4-1-20	28"	D	1995	John Taylor & Co., Loughborough	Flat	Never
®	5	Vernon	5-0-20	30"	C	1995	John Taylor & Co., Loughborough	Flat	Never
®	6	John	6-0-10	31½"	B	1995	John Taylor & Co., Loughborough	Flat	Never
®	7	Austen	7-1-6	34"	A	1995	John Taylor & Co., Loughborough	Flat	Never
®	Tenor	Richard	10-1-8	38½"	G	1995	John Taylor & Co., Loughborough	Flat	Never

® - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Position

Frame

Bells

Year

Maker

Material

Truss(es)

Local
Layout

Lower tier

1

1,2,5,6,7,8

1975

Whitechapel Bell Foundry

Steel

8.1.B.a

6.1

Upper tier

2

3,4

1975

Whitechapel Bell Foundry

Steel

Inscriptions

The original ring of five

Bell		Weight (most recent)	Date	Founder	Retuned	Fate
1		4-3-22	1596	Robert Mot	Never	Recast 1843
2		5-0-17	1600	Robert Mot	Never	Recast 1843
3		5-2-17	1702	Richard Phelps	Never	Recast 1843
4		7-3-7	1573	Robert Doddes	Never	Recast 1843
5		11-1-15	1630	John Wilnar	Never	Recast 1843

The later ring of six which became eight

Bell		Weight (most recent)	*(Received 1975)*	*(Dispatched 1975)*	*(Supplied 1923)*	Diameter	Date	Founder	Retuned	Fate
1		3-1-16	3-1-18	3-1-17	3-0-26	24¼"	1923	Mears & Stainbank	Never	Recast 1995
2		3-1-20	3-2-0	3-1-10	3-2-16	24 3/16"	1923	Mears & Stainbank	Never	Recast 1995
3		3-2-14	3-3-21	3-2-10		26¾"	1843	Thomas Mears II	Never	Recast 1995
4		4-0-6	4-2-26	4-0-8		28 1/16"	1843	Thomas Mears II	Never	Recast 1995
5		4-1-16	4-3-18	4-1-10		29⅞"	1843	Thomas Mears II	Never	Recast 1995
6		5-3-4	6-0-19	5-3-2		31⅞"	1843	Thomas Mears II	Never	Recast 1995
7		7-0-16	7-2-17	7-0-4		35"	1843	Thomas Mears II	Never	Recast 1995
8		7-2-4	8-2-4	7-2-13		36¾	1843	Thomas Mears II	Never	Recast 1995

History

	1573		4th (of 5) cast, founder unknown.
	1596		Treble (of 5) cast by Robert Mot.
	1600		2nd (of 5) cast by Robert Mot.
	1630		Tenor (of 5) cast by John Wilnar.
	1702		3rd (of 5) cast by Richard Phelps.
	1843		The 5 bells were recast into a ring of 6 by Thomas Mears.
	1850		The top part of the tower was pulled down and rebuilt with a high ridged roof.
	1899	17th Nov.	Tunstall Change Ringing Society founded.
	1900		Bells rehung in a new wooden frame by Mears & Stainbank.
	1923		2 trebles added to make 8 by Mears & Stainbank and hung in a new metal frame above the wooden one at the expense of Charles E. Homewood.
	1975		Bells retuned and rehung in a new metal frame by Whitechapel.
	1995	6th Oct.	Bells recast with additional metal into a new peal of 8, and rehung with mostly new fittings by John Taylor.
	1996	21st Jan.	New ring dedicated by the R't Rev'd David Say.
	1998		Gudgeon on the 5th broke and was replaced.

Peal Boards

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1923
04 Sept 1923: 5088 Kent T B Major (1st peal on the augmented ring.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1912
12 Mar 1912: 5040 Minor (7m) (Church of England Men's Society. "Quit you like Men, be strong")

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1901
22 Dec 1900: 5040 Minor (7m) (1st peal on the bells.)
26 Dec 1900: 5040 Minor (7m)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1901
05 Aug 1901: 10080 Minor (9m) (The longest length rung in the county.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated approx. 1901

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1901
31 Dec 1901: 5040 Minor (7m) (1st peal on the bells by an entirely local band.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2001
22 Dec 2000: 5040 Minor (3m) (Centenary of the 1st peal at Tunstall.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1905
03 Oct 1905: 5040 Surprise Minor (7m) (1st peal of 7 Surprise Minor in Kent.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated approx. 1913

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2001
17 Nov 1999: 5088 Yorkshire S Major (Centenary of the Tunstall Change Ringing Society.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2001
03 Sept 1995: 5088 Plain Bob Major (Last peal on the old bells.)
03 Aug 1996: 5184 Tunstall S Major (1st peal on the new bells.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1902
07 Dec 1901: 720 Cambridge S Minor (1st in the method on the bells.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1902
16 Nov 1901: 720 London S Minor (1st in the method on the bells.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1996

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Performance Board dated approx. 1901
02 Feb 1901: 5040 Minor (7m) (Half muffled for the death of Queen Victoria.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1996

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Performance Board dated approx. 1975
14 Dec 1974: 5056 Plain Bob Major (Last peal on the bells prior to rehanging.)
05 Jul 1975: 5056 Plain Bob Major (First peal on the bells following rehanging.)

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1996

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1996

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Framed card Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated 1975

Photo: Dickon R Love, 8 September 2019

Recent Peals

The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.

2022-11-14	5088 Sheppey Surprise Major
2017-06-17	5152 Lincolnshire Surprise Major
2016-06-18	5024 Turramurra Surprise Major
2013-09-04	5056 Spliced Surprise Major
2010-12-27	5184 Ospringe Surprise Major
2010-05-15	5088 Berkshire Surprise Major
2009-06-20	5120 Bristol Surprise Major
2008-05-29	5120 Spliced Surprise Major
2008-03-14	5056 Spliced Surprise Major
2007-11-13	5088 Bristol Surprise Major
2006-11-14	5024 Hearts Delight Delight Major
2005-09-11	5088 Rutland Surprise Major
2004-12-29	5056 XAT Delight Major
2002-04-27	5088 London Surprise Major
2001-09-15	5024 Spliced Surprise Major
1997-04-07	5088 Pudsey Surprise Major
1996-11-16	5024 Bristol Surprise Major
1994-08-13	5152 Yorkshire Surprise Major
1994-01-03	5152 Ytterbium Surprise Major
1977-11-19	5040 Plain Bob Triples
1976-10-30	5040 Plain Bob Triples
1975-07-05	5056 Plain Bob Major
1971-05-15	5040 Grandsire Triples
1901-08-05	10080 Minor (9m)

Recent Quarter Peals

The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.

2023-09-10	1260 Doubles (2m)
2023-07-23	1296 Cambridge Surprise Minor
2023-06-11	1260 Grandsire Doubles
2023-03-12	1260 Spliced Doubles (5m)
2023-02-12	1320 Doubles (4m)
2022-07-10	1260 Plain Bob Minor
2022-06-26	1260 Grandsire Doubles
2022-06-20	1260 St Simon's Bob Doubles
2022-05-08	1260 Doubles (5m)
2021-11-14	1260 Grandsire Doubles
2020-03-08	1250 Cambridge Surprise Major
2020-02-23	1260 Plain Bob Doubles
2020-02-09	1260 Plain Bob Minor
2020-01-26	1260 Plain Bob Doubles
2019-12-08	1264 Plain Bob Major
2019-11-24	1260 Plain Bob Minor
2019-11-10	1263 Stedman Triples
2019-10-27	1260 Plain Bob Doubles
2019-10-13	1260 Plain Bob Triples
2019-09-29	1284 Plain Bob Minor
2019-09-22	1284 Plain Bob Minor
2019-09-08	1280 Cambridge Surprise Major
2019-08-11	1272 Cambridge Surprise Minor
2019-07-28	1287 Grandsire Triples
2019-07-14	1260 Plain Bob Triples

Full list of peals on Bellboard here

Full list of quarters on Bellboard here

Elsewhere in the Parish

Tunstall, A local house tba
Single hour bell

Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent

Page updated: 1 April 2016