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Deptford, St Nicholas
 Photo: Dickon Love, Jun 2005
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Details of the Bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Canons | Retuned | ||
| ꓕ | 1 | 5 cwt approx. | 30" | E♭ | 1701 | Newton & Hadley | Never | ||
| ꓕ | 2 | 19¼ cwt approx. | 49" | E♭ | 1842 | Thomas Mears II, Whitechapel | Never |
Inscriptions |
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The original ring of 8 bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Diameter | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Treble | 5 cwt approx. | 30" | E♭ | 1701 | Newton & Hadley | Never | Still in the tower | |
| 2nd | 5-2-27 | 30½" | D | 1701 | Newton & Hadley | Never | Scrapped 1956 | |
| 3rd | 6-1-10 | 32½" | C | 1701 | Newton & Hadley | Never | Scrapped 1956 | |
| 4th | 8-1-19 | 36½" | B♭ | 1701 | Newton & Hadley | Never | Scrapped 1956 | |
| 5th | 9-3-14 | 39" | A♭ | 1702 | Newton & Hadley | Never | Scrapped 1956 | |
| 6th | 13-0-10 | 41½" | G | 1701 | Newton & Hadley | Never | Scrapped 1956 | |
| 7th | 14-3-3 | 44¾" | F | 1701 | Newton & Hadley | Never | Scrapped 1956 | |
| Tenor | 20-1-14 | E♭ | 1701 | Newton & Hadley | Never | Recast 1780 |
Subsequently recast bells |
| Bell | Weight (most recent) | Note | Date | Founder | Retuned | Fate | |
| Tenor | 20-0-11 | E♭ | 1780 | Pack & Chapman | Never | Recast 1842 |
History |
| c | 1120 | Church built. | |
| 1552 | Record of 5 bells. | ||
| 1697 | Significant rebuilding of the church. | ||
| 1701 | Ring of 8 bells cast (although the 5th was dated 1702). | ||
| 1714 | Significant rebuilding of the church. | ||
| 1780 | Tenor recast. | ||
| 1842 | Tenor recast by Thomas Mears, weighing 20-1-2. | ||
| 1904 | Top stage of the tower rebuilt. Canons removed and bells rehung in a new 2-tier cast iron frame. The tower was reopened and bells rededicated by the Bishop of Rochester on 11th November. | ||
| 1911 | 21st Sept. | Church reopened after restoration. | |
| 1939 | Last peal on the bells and bells last rung. In May, John Taylor quoted for a new frame and fittings. ("From the manner in which the frame moves we would not come to rehang the bells upon it.") | ||
| 1940 | October | The church was badly damaged from incendiary bombs. The bells were removed from the tower and put into storage. | |
| 1951 | May | Mears & Stainbank quoted for removing the bells. | |
| 1955 | In July, Mears & Stainbank quoted for rehanging the bells with partly new fittings to make them ringable. In October, Mears & Stainbank reported: "5th cracked, possibly also 4th, bells dirty. Frame & majority of fittings sound & in excellent condition but bells are too high in the tower & too heavy." They quoted for new 8 in A, Ab or G or existing, rehanging lower in tower with new f&f. In November Mears & Stainbank quoted for removing the middle six bells including a plea that they might reconsider even keeping 6 bells for ringing which would attract ringers. All of this fell on deaf ears! | ||
| 1956 | Bells removed from the tower and sold for scrap to help pay for the restoration of the church (apart from the treble and tenor which were rehung without their wheels in the lower frame with their clappers adapted for clocking). | ||
| 1958 | Church restored. | ||
| 2000 | Church awarded a considerable sum to restore the tower. At the Rector's request, Dickon Love acquired the 6 bells from Homerton with a loan from the Kent County Association with a view to augmenting them and hanging them in the tower, thus restoring the ring of 8. However the Rector then retired and his successor showed no interest in continuing with this project. The ex-Homerton bells were subsequently offered to Stone-by-Dartford where they now hang. |
Gallery |
Photo: David Cawley |
The tower in a bad way a few years before its partial collapse and rebuilding. This photograph was taken in 1895. Photo: David Cawley collection |
The tenor sitting in its pit in the old frame for 8 bells, without a wheel. Photo: Dickon Love, Jun 2005 |
The treble is the only other bell in the tower. Photo: Dickon Love, Jun 2005 |
The upper tier of the frame. Photo: Dickon Love, Jun 2005 |
The lower tier, in which the remaining two bells hang. Photo: Dickon Love, Jun 2005 |
The two ropes which allow the two bells to be sounded. Also a better view of the door on to the ringing gallery. Photo: Dickon Love, Jun 2005 |
A view of the base of the tower. There used to be a ringing gallery here and you can see where the door used to open up to allow access (on the right). Photo: Dickon Love, Jun 2005 |
A memorial on the wall of the church showing money donated for the casting of the bells. Photo: Dickon Love, Jun 2005 |
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Recent Peals The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.
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Full list of peals on Bellboard here |
Full list of quarters on Bellboard here |
| Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent | Page updated: 1 April 2016 |