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Buckland Valley
 

Buckland Valley, Our Lady of Dover (RC)


  • Single bell, in storage pending hanging
  • Tenor: ½ cwt approx.
  • Grid Ref: TR304432
  • Bell acquired from Our Lady of Pity and St Martin, Dover
  • Denomination: Roman Catholic
    Diocese (RC): Southwark
    Area (RC): Kent
    Deanery (RC): Dover


Details of the Bells

Bell Weight
(most recent)
Diameter Note Date Founder Canons Retuned
҈ Unhung bell ½ cwt approx.13" 1904 Mears & Stainbank, Whitechapel Never

҈    - Unhung

Inscriptions

History

1906 The church of St Mary of Pity and St Martin, Snargate Street was established by the Roman Catholic diocese of Southwark. It was equipped with one bell, hung for swing chiming on a bracket frame attached to the wall. The church was consecrated on 29 March by the Bishop of Southwark, and that afternoon the Bishop blessed the bell in a special ceremony. [1] [2]
1940 The church of St Mary of Pity and St Martin closed.
1960 The empty church building of St Mary of Pity and St Martin was sold (but not demolished). The new church of Our Lady of Dover was established on Buckland Estate.
1982 The bell from the Snargate church was brought to Our Lady of Dover, Buckland Estate. Estimates for hanging it were obtained from Whitechapel and Taylor's, but the work was not proceeded with and the bell remained in store.
[1] DOVER: OPENING OF ST. MARY AND ST. MARTIN'S NEW CHURCH - This new church in Snargate-street was opened by the Bishop of Southwark, on Thursday in last week, in the presence of a large gathering of people. ... The Dover Standard, describing the new building, says that, though plain without, particular interest attaches to it from the fact that the altar end of the church has been hewn out of the cliffs at the rear of Snargate-street, and in keeping with this the decoration of the interior has been designed to exactly imitate that of the ancient Catacombs of Rome, which is the earliest form of Christian decoration. The walls of the interior are finished with cement, and at periods are relieved by columns standing out from the face. There are no windows, but the building is lighted by a skylight which occupies the entire length of the roof. The roof beams are decorated in a style resembling the early Christan basilicas. At the farther end of the church the altar stands before an apse, where the designs imitative of the Catacombs are depicted, presenting the words "Ipse Est Dominus Deus Noster Nos Autem Populus Eius et Oves Pascuae Eius." The design of the altar rails is also in keeping with the remainder of the decorative work, and is taken from the common origin - the Catacombs. The flooring of the church is of wooden blocks. The church will be capble of holding about 250 or 300 people, and was built by Mr. Geo. Munro, to the designs of Messrs. Bowles and Hawkins, the architects. (Tablet - Saturday 14 April 1906)
[2] NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH OPENED BY THE BISHOP OF SOUTHWARK. The new Catholic Church of St. Mary and St. Martin, in Snargate Street, was opened yesterday by the Bishop of Southwark, the Right Rev. Peter Amigo. ... The ceremony of blessing the bell was performed by the Bishop in the afternoon, in the presence of a large congregation. The Deacon was the Rev Father Limpen, rector of Deal, and the sub-Deacon, the Rev. Father Rogers, Chaplain to the Forces at Shorncliffe. The Rev. Fathers Laws and Kirwan also assisted. (Dover Express - Friday 30 March 1906)



Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 16 June 2020