Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent

Boughton Aluph, All Saints

Photo: Richard Offen, 2011

No bells, formerly 5 bells hung for full circle ringing
Tenor: 13-2-10 in F♯.
Formerly ring of 5, tenor 13-2-10. Scrapped.
Grid Ref: TR033481
Rung from: Ground Floor
Denomination: Church of England
Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
Archdeaconry (Anglican): Canterbury

Bellframes

Frame

Bells

Year

Maker

Material

Truss(es)

Local
Layout

3,4,5

c.1650

Timber

3.1

1,2 timber strip on south wall, now removed

1652

Timber

2.X1

Prior to their scrapping in 1952

Bell	Weight (most recent)	Diameter	Note	Date	Founder	Retuned	Fate
Treble	4½ cwt approx.	28½"	C♯	1653	William Hatch	Never	Scrapped in 1952.
2nd	5 cwt approx.	29"	B	1652	William Hatch	Never	Scrapped in 1952.
3rd	7¾ cwt approx.	35"	A♯	c.1510	William Culverden	Never	Scrapped in 1952.
4th	8¾ cwt approx.	37"	G♯	1702	Richard Phelps	Never	Scrapped in 1952.
Tenor	13-2-10	40½"	F♯	c.1540	William Oldfield	Never	Scrapped in 1952.

History

	1510		Bell cast by William Culverden.
c	1540		Tenor (of 4) cast by William Oldfield.
	1552		Record of 4 bells in the tower.
	1652	-3	Bells augmented to 5 with two new bells from William Hatch.
	1702		4th (of 5) recast by Richard Phelps.
	1757		Record of 5 bells in the tower. [1]
	1887		Stahlschmidt reported the bells as being dilapidated and the treble being cracked.
	1942		The church tower was damaged by a fire bomb.
	1945		The belfry was reported to be in a terrible condition - the SW corner was badly burned by the bomb, the treble was broken at the lip (but still sounded fair) and the tenor was cracked.
	1952	January	Bells controversially sold for scrap to Gillett & Johnston. Part of the tenor inscription band was saved by Ranald Clouston who later presented it to the Canterbury Heritage Centre for display. The metal was used for the St Nicholas Aberdeen Carillon.
	1954		The frame was repaired, although no bells have hung in it ever since.

[1]

"This Church consists of Two Chancells, The Body, 2 Isles, and a Cross One or Transept. The Tower, in which hang 5 Bells (The Inscriptions upon which it was to dark for Me to read) is in ye Middle of ye Church, and stands upon Four Stout Pillars." (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1757)

Gallery

The door to the tower. Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 2001	The frame, now devoid of its ancient bells. Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 2001	Stahlschmidt described this as "a grand old belfry in a very dilapidated condition". Photo: Christopher J Cooper, 2001
The view most people don't see - from the south side. This photo was taken in 1942 just prior to the incendiary damage to the tower. The tower was restored in 1954 but without the bells. Photo: David Cawley collection	This is a postcard of the inside of the church taken in c. 1910. It shows the vast ringing area under the central tower and three of the ropes. Photo: David Cawley collection	View of the church from the south east. Photo: David Cawley, 23 Nov 2002
View of the church from the east. Photo: David Cawley, 23 Nov 2002	Photo: David Cawley

Drawings of the Frame

Heads and Cills of the frame as drawn by David Cawley.
Photo: David Cawley, 21st Oct, 1964.

Conjectural Plan of Frame and Tower with bells in situ - pre 1952. Trebles resting on gudgeons let into timber in south wall, now removed. There are rope holes in the ceiling of the ground floor indicating from where they would have been rung.
Photo: David Cawley, 21st Oct, 1964.

Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent

Page updated: 1 April 2016