Against the towering backdrop of Rhossili Downs the distinctive saddle-back bell tower was once used as a landmark by passing ships; it is the only church in Gower to have a chimney, not to have a masking parapet or battlements.
"A west tower containing three bells with angular canons hung
for ringing.
Bell Inscription Diameter
1. RHOSSILI (incised on waist) 20!"
Rim J. WARNER & SONS LTD. LONDON 1893
2. J. WARNER & SONS LTD. LONDON 1893 21 i"
RHOSSILI (Incised on waist)
1893
3. CAST BY JOHN WARNER & SONS LTD 23
LONDON 1893
RHOSSILI (Incised on waist)
1893
There were formerly two bells in the church. One, cast by David and
Thomas Davies of Oystermouth in 1722, was taken to London in 1890 at
a cost of two shillings and ninepence. In 1893 three new bells were purchased from John Warner & Sons Ltd. of London for £55. The firm of John Warner & Sons cast bells from 1853 to 1920. The bells have old-
style fittings resembling strap gudgeons copied by a modern fabricator
who was obviously not a professional bellhanger.
The other cracked bell now stands beside the font. It is a late 15th-
century bell with a diameter of eighteen and three-quarter inches.
Canon J.J. Raven, an authority on bells, writing in the Archaeologia
Cambrensis for 1878 stated that it was cracked in 1862. The bell has three
stamps on it: a fleur-de-lys and a rhombus divided into sixteen similar
rhombi and something resembling a stalk with seven leaves. It appears
that this bell came from the same foundry as the original Oxwich bell as
it has similar markings.
Early in this century Osmund Barrett, a parishioner and retired
mechanical engineer conceived the extraordinary notion of converting
the bell into a safe by fitting it with a hinged iron door and wooden base.
It was hung in the vestry for safeguarding the chalice and paten. The
bell is inscribed 'SANCTE TELLAUT ORA PRO NOBIS' (St. Tellaut pray for us.) The enigmatic word is 'Tellaut'. The theory has been
put forward that the word 'Tellaut' is a miscutting by an illiterate or non-Welsh engraver of a manuscript copy which probably read
'Teliaue' and suggests a former dedication of Rhossili church to St.
Teilo. The other theory is that St. Tellaut is an obscure Cornish saint." Text Source: (
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"At one time the tower housed two bells. One of them was made in the 14th or 15th century bearing the inscription:
"Sancte Tellant ora pro nobis"
... which means 'Saint Tellant pray for us'. Bearing in mind that there is no saint of the name Tellant, it has been suggested that the engraver of the bell was somewhat illiterate and the name should have refered to the 6th century Celtic Saint, St. Teilo! Local tradition states that the bells were salvaged from the wreck of a Spanish ship, however, similar inscribed bells can be found throughout churches in Wales, Oxwich Church being another local example. The bells were rung by striking them with a hammer and it is assumed that this action finally cracked one, deadening its sound. This bell was eventually converted into a safe sometime during the early 20th century; an iron door was fitted and a wooden base attached, though sadly this was stolen from the church in 1993. Text source" (
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"Dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, the present structure was probably built in the late 12th century. The entrance arch is a fine example of the late Norman period. The outer dogtooth moulding and the inner moulding of deeply cut chevrons are considered to be rare in Wales. On the left hand pillar can be seen the remains of a scratch dial. A memorial tablet in white marble can also be found dedicated to Petty Officer Edgar Evans, RN, who died in 1912 with Captain Scott on the tragic return journey after they reached the South Pole. It was erected by his widow, Lois Evans (formerly Beynon) and bears the inscription: To seek, to strive, to find and not to yield." Text Source: (
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