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Bilsington, Ss Peter & Paul
 Photo: Dickon Love, Dec 2004
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♫ Sound clip of the bell in the tower.(27 Dec 2004) ♫ Sound clip of the cracked Chamberlain bell.(28 Dec 2003) |
Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned |
| Single bell | 5-0-4 | 29" | D♭ | 1931 | Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel | Never |
| Display bell | 9 cwt approx. | 38½" | G | William Chamberlain | Never |
Inscriptions |
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Prior to 1931 |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) |
Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate |
| Treble (of 2) | 5 cwt approx. | 29" | 1710 | Richard Phelps | Never | Recast 1931 |
History |
| c | 1440 | Present tenor cast by William Chamberlain. | |
| 1552 | T.R.E. records iij belles in the steple. [1] | ||
| c | 1600 | Frame for 4 was constructed. The 3rd pit was never occupied. | |
| 1710 | Treble recast. | ||
| c | 1750 | - 1800 | 2nd (of 3) sold. |
| 1799 | Record of 2 bells in the tower. [2] | ||
| 1887 | Stahlschmidt records 2 bells, both cracked, and that there were formerly 3. | ||
| 1931 | Treble again recast and rehung dead in the 4 bell frame with a lever clapper. The tenor was hung on display outside in a "wishing well" type structure. | ||
| 1971 | Survey by David Cawley reported the larger bell in the churchyard cracked at least 12" up the bell from the soundbow. |
| [1] | Item iij belles in the steple. (Edwardian Inventory) |
| [2] | The church, which is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, is a small building, of but one isle and one chancel, having a low pointed wooden turret on the roof at the west end, in which are two bells. ('The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol 8.', Edward Hasted) |
Gallery |
The cracked Chamberlain bell hanging outside the church. (Pictured also are the Vicar, Rev'd Richard Love, and Tim Dean.) Photo: Dickon Love, 27 Dec 2004 |
Facing west. Richard Love is in the pit formerly occupied by the Chamberlain bell. Three other pits are in the foreground. The pit to the far right is the one that contains the only bell in the tower. Photo: Dickon Love, 27 Dec 2004 |
The Mears bell hung dead. Photo: Dickon Love, 27 Dec 2004 |
A curved brace in the pit that used to contain the 2nd. Photo: Dickon Love, 27 Dec 2004 |
The pit that has always been empty. Photo: Dickon Love, 27 Dec 2004 |
The deadstock on the bell. Photo: Dickon Love, 27 Dec 2004 |
The 1931 bell. Photo: Dickon Love, 27 Dec 2004 |
The remains of the latchet style slider. Unusually it is wrought iron throughout. Photo: Dickon Love, 27 Dec 2004 |
Looking south. The pit at the back is the one that has always been empty. The foreground pit used to contain the missing 2nd. The empty tenor pit is to the right. Photo: Dickon Love, 27 Dec 2004 |
The inscription on the Chamberlain bell (and the following pictures). Photo: Richard Offen |
Photo: Richard Offen |
Photo: Richard Offen |
Photo: Richard Offen |
Photo: Richard Offen |
Photo: Richard Offen |
Photo: Richard Offen |
Photo: Richard Offen |
Photo: Richard Offen |
Photo: Richard Offen |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |