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Canterbury, Cathedral & Metropolitical Church of Christ
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Details of the Bells |
Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned |
Prior to 1981. |
Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
Prior to 1951. |
Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
Prior to 1855. |
Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
Prior to 1854. |
Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
Previous castings of Great Dunstan. |
Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
The Six Oxfords. |
Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
The 1499 Ring of Five. |
Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
Bells transferred to the Oxford Tower in 1433. |
Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
History |
1098 | Prior Ernulf puts a bell in the Campanile, later adding 4 smaller ones. | ||
1160 | Prior Wybert adds a sixth bell to Campanile | ||
1288 | Prior Henry hangs original "Bell Harry" in North West Tower. | ||
1316 | Prior Henry placed 3 bells in Angel Steeple & "Thomas" in Campanile. Shortly after, 3 more bells were added to the Angel Steeple. | ||
1343 | Prior Hathbrand adds 2 larger bells to the four remaining bells in Campanile | ||
1382 | Campanile damaged in earthquake. | ||
1408 | Chillenden/Arundel replace the bells in the Angel Steeple with a heavier five. | ||
1409 | Angel Steeple bells dedicated. | ||
1425 | Oxford Tower built. | ||
1433 | Angel Steeple bells removed to North West Tower, replacing the existing bells which were themselves moved to the Oxford Tower. | ||
1459 | Great Dunstan cast. | ||
1490 | Smallest Arundel bell recast. | ||
1499 | John Bayle casts "le Mariebelle" and 5 other bells and recasts Great Dunstan. | ||
1500 | Bell Harry Tower completed and the 1288 Bell Harry installed on the top. | ||
1541 | Campanile bells forfeited to Crown. | ||
1557 | Sanctus Bell installed, probably in Bell Harry Tower. | ||
1585 | Sanctus Bell removed and given to Eastbridge Hospital. Second Arundel bell recast by Robert Mot of Whitechapel. | ||
1606 | Third Arundel bell recast. | ||
1624 | Fourth Arundel bell recast by Joseph Hatch. | ||
1625 | Four of the Oxford Tower bells recast and probably augmented to six. | ||
1635 | -6 | Arundel bells rehung in a new frame & tuned. The tenor was replaced by 2 smaller bells to produce the first changeringing peal, by Joseph Hatch. | |
c | 1650 | Campanile demolished. | |
1663 | Michael Darbie recasts Great Dunstan. | ||
1684 | Christopher Hodson recasts Great Dunstan. | ||
1704 | North West tower spire damaged. | ||
1706 | North West tower spire removed. | ||
1726 | Arundel bells removed and Oxford bells sold to Sandwich. Bell Harry replaced by a second-hand 1635 Joseph Hatch bell. | ||
1727 | Samuel Knight casts ring of 8 for Oxford Tower, recasting the 5th. | ||
1728 | Samuel Knight recasts the 6th. | ||
1758 | Attempt to mend Great Dunstan with solder. | ||
1762 | Lester, Pack & Chapman recast Great Dunstan. | ||
1778 | Tenor recast by Pack & Chapman. | ||
1802 | Peal augmented to 10 by Whitechapel. | ||
1832 | North West tower partially removed & rebuilt. | ||
1854 | 3rd & 6th recast by Charles & George Mears, but found to be the wrong note, so recast again. | ||
1872 | Canterbury Chimes installed. | ||
1892 | Great Dunstan rehung on new steel girder headstock by Mr S.B.Goslin of Bishopsgate. | ||
1897 | Peal rehung by Thomas Blackbourne to Mr J.K.Jerram's design. | ||
1923 | Peal augmented to 12 by Whitechapel. | ||
1951 | Peal rehung on ball bearings and tenor recast by Whitechapel. | ||
1959 | Bell Harry has electronically operated hammer. | ||
1975 | Bell Harry rehung in new steel frame. | ||
1981 | The bells in the Oxford Tower are recast into a new 12 with two semione bell, Great Dunstan together with members of the clock chime are hung in the Arundel Tower and Bell Harry is rehung dead on Bell Harry Tower. | ||
1998 | Great Dunstan found to be cracked again, although Whitechapel recommend no action need be taken. |
Elsewhere in the Parish |
![]() | Canterbury Cathedral, Oxford Tower 12 bells plus extra treble and sharp 2nd hung for full circle ringing |
Canterbury Cathedral, Arundel Tower 5 clock bells hung dead and bourdon hung for slow swinging with electric motor | |
Canterbury Cathedral, Central Tower Single bell hung dead with electric solenoid hammer | |
Canterbury Cathedral, Former Campanile Formerly 6 bells hung for swing chiming | |
Canterbury, The King's School Single bell hung for swing chiming with lever |
Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |