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Cranbrook
 

Cranbrook, St Dunstan

Photo: Dickon Love, Jul 2005

  • 8 bells hung for full circle ringing
  • Tenor: 21-2-15 in D♯.
  • Grid Ref: TQ776361
  • Rung from: Upstairs Ringing Room
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
    Archdeaconry (Anglican): Maidstone
  • Kent County Association of Change Ringers District: Tonbridge
  • Building Listed Grade: I Click for Heritage details.
  • Peals rung at the tower

Details of the Bells
Bell Weight
(most recent)
(As supplied)		Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
® Treble 5-3-266-1-730¾" D♯ 1801 Thomas Mears I, Whitechapel Removed 1971 John Taylor & Co
® 2 6-0-166-2-1631¾" C* 1801 Thomas Mears I, Whitechapel Removed 1971 John Taylor & Co
® 3 6-2-207-1-433⅜" B♯ 1801 Thomas Mears I, Whitechapel Removed 1971 John Taylor & Co
® 4 6-1-59-0-1236¼" A♯ 1801 Thomas Mears I, Whitechapel Removed 1971 John Taylor & Co
® 5 10-2-640¾" G♯ 1825 Thomas Mears II Removed 1971 John Taylor & Co
® 6 11-3-412-3-2641¾" F* 1801 Thomas Mears I, Whitechapel Removed 1971 John Taylor & Co
® 7 15-2-1846" E♯ 1857 Charles & George Mears, Whitechapel Removed 1971 John Taylor & Co
® Tenor 21-2-1523-1-451¼" D♯ 1801 Thomas Mears I, Whitechapel Removed 1971 John Taylor & Co

®  - Hung for full circle ringing

Bellframes
Frame Bells Year Maker Material Truss(es) Local
Layout
1 All bells 1902 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Timber

Inscriptions

How the bells are tuned

Earlier bells from the Mears octave
Bell Weight
(most recent)		DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
5th (of 8)11-2-2740"1801Thomas Mears INever
7th (of 8)16-3-045½"1801Thomas Mears INever

Ring of 5 before recasting in 1606
Bell DateFounderFate
3 (of 5)1596Anthony Wakefield

1606 ring of five
Bell DateFounderFate
Treble (of 5)1606Joseph HatchRecast 1671 or 1715
2 (of 5)1606Joseph HatchRecast 1671 or 1695
3 (of 5)1606Joseph HatchRecast 1671 or 1715
4 (of 5)1606Joseph HatchRecast 1671 or 1715
Tenor (of 5)1606Joseph HatchRecast 1671 or 1715

Recasts from the 1606 ring of 5
Bell DateFounderFate
? (of 5)1671Francis FosterRecast 1695 or 1715

1715 ring of six
Bell DateFounderFate
Treble (of 6)1715Richard PhelpsRecast 1718 or 1801
2 (of 6)1715Richard PhelpsRecast 1718 or 1801
3 (of 6)1715Richard PhelpsRecast 1718 or 1801
4 (of 6)1715Richard PhelpsRecast 1718 or 1801
5 (of 6)1715Richard PhelpsRecast 1718 or 1801
Tenor (of 6)1715Richard PhelpsRecast 1718 or 1801

History
1581 One of the bells recast by Thomas Hatch.
1596 3rd recast by Anthony Wakefield and bells rehung.
1604 Record of 5 bells in the tower.
1606 New ring of 5 cast and hung in a new frame by Joseph Hatch.
1608 New frame installed.
1610 Bells rehung in the new frame.
1671 One of the bells recast by Francis Foster of Salisbury.
1685 Bells rehung.
1695 The 2nd was recast, although the name of the founder is not recorded.
1715 Bells recast into a ring of 6 by Richard Phelps with a new frame.
1718 With 3 of the bells out of order, Richard Phelps offered to recast them into 8 bells for 20 guineas each. The parish agreed to this, but it seems that in the event they only sent 2 bells to be recast.
1801 All 8 bells recast by Thomas Mears.
1812 Bells rehung by William Humphrey.
1825 5th recast by Thomas Mears.
1843 Bells rehung.
1845 Bells rehung again as previous work was unsatisfactory.
1857 7th recast at Whitechapel.
1902 Bells rehung by Mears & Stainbank in a new frame.
1914 Minor repairs took place.
1971 Bells rehung and retuned by John Taylor. They were rededicated on 17th December.

Articles

  • "Cranbrook, Kent", AJL (The Ringing World) 3 December 1971
  • "St Dunstan, Cranbrook, Kent", Author unknown (The Ringing World) 28 March 1975
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    Gallery

    The belfry.
    Photo: Dickon Love, 13 July 2005
    The belfry.
    Photo: Dickon Love, 13 July 2005
    Recent Peals
    The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.
    2010-01-165040 Plain Bob Major
    2001-12-275024 Bristol Surprise Major
    1996-05-065024 Cranbrook Surprise Major
    1908-04-215040 Stedman Triples
    Recent Quarter Peals
    The most recent performances, according to BellBoard.
    2023-05-041260 Grandsire Triples
    2019-01-261360 Plain Bob Major
    2018-11-021260 Grandsire Triples
    2014-12-271344 Plain Bob Major
    2012-03-251260 Grandsire Doubles
    2008-09-061260 Plain Bob Triples
    2007-08-301280 Bristol Surprise Major
    1996-08-171320 Little Carshalton Bob Triples
    1995-12-281472 Magormegakeggery Surprise Major
    1981-03-281280 Kent Treble Bob Major
    1974-03-211280 Plain Bob Major
    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