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Canterbury, St Dunstan


Photo: Dickon R Love, 21 May 2023

  • 6 bells hung for full circle ringing
  • Tenor: 13-2-15 in F♯.
  • Grid Ref: TR142583
  • Contains the oldest ringing bell in the county.
  • Rung from: Upstairs Ringing Room
  • Frame: 1936 Mears & Stainbank
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
    Archdeaconry (Anglican): Canterbury
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Canterbury
  • Building Listed Grade: I Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)

(As received 1936)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 4-0-94-0-2727" D♯ 1777 William Mears Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank
® 2 3-3-274-0-328½" C♯ 1629 Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank
® 3 5-1-65-1-1230½" B 1777 William Mears Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank
® 4 7-0-1634" A♯ 1605 Joseph Hatch, Ulcombe, Kent Conventional Never
® 5 10-1-2210-2-638½" G♯ c.1325 William le Belyetere, Canterbury Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank
® Tenor 13-2-1513-3-544" F♯ 1676 Thomas Palmar II, Whitechapel Conventional 1936 Mears & Stainbank

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes

Position
Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
Lower tier 1 2,4,6 1936 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel

Upper tier 2 1,3,5 1936 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel

Inscriptions

Prior to 1777

Bell DateFounderRetunedFate
2nd (of 5)1660Thomas Palmar IINever

History

c 1325 Present 5th cast (probably tenor of 3).
1500 Wackerell Bell recast by Richard Kerner.
1605 Middle bell recast by Joseph Hatch.
1629 New treble cast by Joseph Hatch.
1660 2nd (of 4) recast by Thomas Palmar I.
1676 Ring augmented to 5 with a tenor by Thomas Palmar II (his only known bell).
1758 Record of 5 bells in the tower. [1]
1777 2nd recast, and new treble cast by William Mears.
1778 The restored bells were opened by the Canterbury Youths on 5 Jan. [2]
1935 Bells removed from tower while concrete ring beam was fitted.
1936 Bells retuned and rehung in a 2 separate frames (1,3,5 above) by Mears & Stainbank.
1969 Clappers rebushed.
1971 Tenor refitted with new gudgeons and reinstated by the KCACR.
1975 4th gudgeon repaired. Headstock reinstated by the Kent C.A.
1981 5th rehung with new gudgeons.
2003 Tenor refitted with a pair of new gudgeons after one of them failed. The work was done by the KCACR.
[1] "The Tower stands at the West End of South Isle. In it hang 5 Bells, thus inscribed: 1. Joseph Hatch made Me, 1629. Autho. Ropar ric: Spencer Oeconomicis. 2. Thomas Palmar made Me, 1660. Tho. Simpson, Ch. Warden. 3. Joseph Hatch made Me, 1605. J.F.C.W. 4. Ave Maria Graciâ Plena; Dns. Tecum. 5. T.P.M. (Thos. Palmar) 1675. Henrey Lanman; John Flactno C.W." (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1759)
[2] On Monday January the 5th, 1778, a peal of six bells was opened at St. Dunstan;s church near this city, when the Canterbury youth rang a peal of 720 plain bob changes, without a [..] compleat, in 28 minutes, being the first time [..] has been rung in this county. (Kentish Gazette (Wednesday 14 January 1778))

Articles

  • "The Parish Church of St Dunstan, Canterbury, Kent", Cawley, David L (The Ringing World) 13 October 1972
  • Gallery


    The second bell, cast by Joseph Hatch in 1629.
    Photo: David Cawley collection.

    Some of the bell repairs in 2017.
    Photo: David L Cawley, 2017

    Peal Boards

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1983
    26 Mar 1983: 5040 Doubles (1p/4m/2v) (1st Doubles on the bells.)

    Photo: Need to check, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1965
    30 Jan 1965: 5040 Plain Bob Minor (In memoriam Sir Winston Churchill.)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1950
    25 Mar 1950: 5040 Plain Bob Minor (1st complete peal on the bells.)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1969
    27 Sept 1969: 5040 Plain Bob Minor (21st birthday: Frances Templeman.)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1986
    05 Jul 1986: 5040 Plain Bob Minor (Thomas More service.)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 2015
    20 Dec 2014: 1260 Plain Bob Minor (In memoriam Danny Scott.)
    27 Jun 2015: 5040 Doubles (3m/2v) (In memoriam Danny Scott.)
    13 Jan 2015: 1260 Grandsire Doubles (After the funeral of Danny Scott.)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1995
    10 Dec 1994: 5040 Kent T B Minor (Birth of Susan Rebecca Hills.)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1841
    14 Jul 1841: 720 Method not given (Funeral: John Pavis)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Memorial Board dated approx. 1991

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Bell/Restoration Detail Board dated approx. 1936

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1945
    17 Aug 1945: 720 Plain Bob Minor (To commemorate the end of hostilities.)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1948
    20 Jul 1947: 720 Grandsire Doubles (Unveiling of the War Memorial.)
    07 Dec 1947: 1260 Plain Bob (probably Doubles) (Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh.)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Timber Performance Board dated approx. 1981
    01 Aug 1981: 5040 Minor (7m) (Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.)

    Photo: Richard A Smith, 19 August 2018

    Elsewhere in the Parish

    Canterbury, St Edmund's School
    2 bells hung dead (chapel and clock bells)


    Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 22 May 2023