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Snargate, St Dunstan
 Photo: Richard Offen, Aug 2004
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
| ҂ | 1 | 5½ cwt approx. | 30⅛" | Unknown | Never | ||||
| ҂ | 2 | 5¾ cwt approx. | 33" | 1673 | John & Christopher Hodson, Whitechapel | Never | |||
| ҂ | 3 | 8½ cwt approx. | 35⅝" | A | 1325 | William le Belyetere, Canterbury | Never |
Inscriptions |
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History |
| c | 1290 | Treble cast by an unknown founder at the end of the 13th Cent. The lettering is fine. [1] | |
| c | 1325 | Tenor cast in early to mid 14th Cent. The identify of the founder is unknown, but the shape of the bell resembles that of bells attributed to William le Belyetere of Canterbury. The lettering is rather less convincing and is particularly poor. | |
| 1552 | Record of 3 bells in the tower. [3] | ||
| 1673 | Middle bell recast by John & Christopher Hodson. | ||
| 1799 | Record of 3 bells in the tower. [4] | ||
| 1850 | At about this time, new fittings were provided. | ||
| 1958 | Belfry overhaul and fittings repaired. | ||
| 1970 | The bells were last rung full circle in September of this year. | ||
| 1971 | 2nd was welded by Soundweld. The bells, which were (just about) ringable were rehung for swing chiming with levers by Whitechapel. |
| [1] | The Snargate treble bell is more of the shape of the much illustrated Enborne, Berks or Sarnesfield, Herefs, bells (see CB Herefs pp444ff); in other words we've passed from the archaic to the early medieval form. Sharpe, op cit pp449ff gives some pretty sound reasons for fairly precise dating bells of this shape, and his conclusions seem to be largely based on Elphick's work, which ought to be good enough for anyone. (Email to Bellhistorians List from David Cawley, Mar 2004) |
| [2] | I [would assign the origin of Snargate tenor] to William le Belyetere of Canterbury; I did so largely on the grounds of shape, the lettering being quite different from that on W le B's other bells, and very rough. Indeed it is so rough that my great hero Stahlschmidt (CB Kent 1887) who I suspect never saw the bells, placed the tenor as the earliest bell on the grounds of lettering. That on the earlier treble is fine, and that on the tenor rough. [Ranald] Clouston came down with Richard [Offen] and me to see these bells and agreed on the dating, although he was reluctant specifically to assign the tenor to W le Belyetere. (Email to Bellhistorians List from David Cawley, Mar 2004) |
| [3] | Item in the steple iij bells and in the churche one worning bell one hand bell and one sacryng bell. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552) |
| [4] | The church, which is dedicated to St. Dunstan, is built of quarry-stone. It is a large handsome building, consisting of three isles and two chancels, having a tower at the west end, in which are three bells. ('The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol 8', Edward Hasted) |
Gallery |
The tenor bell. Photo: David Cawley, 1969 |
The treble bell. Pictures 1969. Photo: David Cawley, 1969 |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 4 April 2020 |