| |
|
|
St Margaret at Cliffe, St Margaret
 Photo: Richard Offen
|
|
Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
| ꓕ | 1 | 1-1-1 | 17⅝" | C | 1977 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ꓕ | 2 | 1-1-20 | 18¼" | B | 1977 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ꓕ | 3 | 1-3-8 | 20" | A | 1977 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ꓕ | 4 | 2-1-12 | 22" | G | 1977 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ꓕ | 5 | 3-0-21 | 24¼" | F | 1977 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ꓕ | 6 | 3-1-26 | 25⅝" | E | 1977 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ꓕ | 7 | 4-3-2 | 28" | D | 1977 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ꓕ | 8 | 6-0-2 | 31" | C | 1977 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
| ꓕ | Service Bell | 6½ cwt approx. | 32" | B | 1696 | John Wood, Bishopsgate | Conventional | Never |
Inscriptions |
|
History |
| 1696 | Bell cast by John Wood (an itinerant founder, based in Bishopsgate, London). It was hung for ringing in a new double braced king post frame. | ||
| 1759 | Record of 3 bells in the tower. [1] | ||
| 1800 | Hasted describes the tower, but not the bells. [2] | ||
| 1887 | Stahlschmidt recorded that local tradition asserts that there were once more bells in the tower and that they were sold to Ashford or Portsmouth. He noted that the upper part of the tower was ruinous for many years and so may indeed have been repaired through the sale of bells. There is no evidence that they went to Ashford. | ||
| 1977 | A chime of 8 was cast to commemorate the Queen's Silver Jubilee. They were cast without canons and hang in pairs just beneath the concrete roof of the tower on steel joists. They are fitted with internal solenoid operated hammers which are controlled from a small ivory keyboard in the vestry. |
| [1] | "This Church is large, and high, and supported by many round, wrought Arches, and large tall Pillars. It has, also, round the Top of the Wall, on the out Side, many Small, round, wrought Arches and Pillasters. It consists of ye Chancell, Body, and 2 Side Isles. The Tower, which is very large and roomy, and adorn’d with Pillasters, Arches and carv’d Work, is at ye West End, and seems ready to fall. There were 3 Bells in it, wch. are now broken to Peices and lay in an Old Chest. They were taken down, for Fear of their falling, or overturning ye Tower; but what they were broken to Pieces for, I cd. not learn." (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1759) |
| [2] | The tower , which is square, had formerly four small turrets, one at each corner, but about the year 1711, that turret on the west side, with a part of the tower, fell down, and the tower gaving never been reparied, the other three turrets were probably taken down to make the whole appear more uniform ('The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol 9', Edward Hasted) |
Belfry photographs |
Chime of 8. Photo: Mike Bundock, 30 Jun 2022 |
Photo: Mike Bundock, 30 Jun 2022 |
The service bell. Note the beautiful canons. Photo: Mike Bundock, 30 Jun 2022 |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 July 2022 |