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Boughton Aluph, All Saints
 Photo: Richard Offen, 2011
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned |
Inscriptions |
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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 |