Otford, St Bartholomew
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Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
® | Treble | 4-0-1 | 26¹⁄₁₆" | F | 2000 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
® | 2 | 4-2-27 | 28¼" | E♭ | 1887 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Removed | 2000 Whitechapel | |
® | 3 | 5-0-15 | 29½" | D♭ | 2000 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
® | 4 | 5-3-15 | 31" | C | 2000 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
® | 5 | 7-2-6 | 33¾" | B♭ | 2000 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never | |
® | Tenor | 10-1-7 | 38⅛" | A♭ | 1974 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Flat | Never |
Bellframes |
Frame | Bells | Year | Maker | Material | Truss(es) | Local Layout | |||
1 | All bells | 2000 | Whitechapel Bell Foundry | Cast iron |
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6.1 |
Inscriptions |
Previous Bells |
Bell | Diameter | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
Treble | 29½" | 1622 | Thomas Bartlett | Never | Recast 1887 | |
Tenor | 39" | 1674 | John Hodson | Never | Recast 1974 |
History |
1180 | -1190 | Tower built. The upper part of the tower and the spire were added in the 17th Century. | |
1622 | A bell was cast or recast by Thomas Bartlett, ultimately becoming the treble of 2. | ||
1674 | A bell was cast or recast by John and Christopher Hodson, ultimately becoming the tenor of 2. Elizabeth Polhill was the widow of David Polhill, the donor of the Communion Plate in 1666. The family were landowners here for several centuries. | ||
1887 | The treble, which was cracked and useless, was recast by Mears & Stainbank. | ||
1974 | The Hodson tenor, which had become cracked, was recast by Whitechapel. Discussions took place between the KCACR and the PCC about hanging a new light six in the tower. This plan never materialised. | ||
1975 | The two bells were rehung by Whitechapel with full circle wheels (although they were technically not hung for full-circle ringing). | ||
2000 | The two bells were refurbished and four new bells were added as 1,3,4,5 to form a six. The bells were rung for the first time on 23rd October and the new ring of 6 bells was dedicated by The Rt Revd Brian Smith, Bishop of Tonbridge on 26th November. |
Gallery |
One of the new bells rings out beside one of the older bells. Photo: Frank Lewis, 2000 |
The old two bells on the floor of the ringing room. The tenor is in the foreground. Photo: Frank Lewis, 2000 |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |