In March 1957 the bellfounders Gillett & Johnston ceased trading in West Croydon and vacated their foundry site. The other two British bell founders, John Taylor & Co. and the Whitechapel Bellfoundry purchased some of the redundant plant and stock. Amongst the stock Whitechapel took was a ring of six bells from St.Nicholas, a redundant church in Colchester, which had been in storage at G&J since the 1930s. The bells continued to be in storage and it was thought that they could be sold on the open market but this turned out to been illegal, so the bells were given to the Church of St Martin of Tours in Basildon in the late 70s. The then Rector, Canon Lionel Webber, was keen to have this ring installed at his church but had no tower to hang them in so worked tirelessly to create such a scheme.
Whitechapel submitted several proposals based upon the Expo Belfry design in which the bells swing radially in the frame rather than parallel to the frame sides. This much reduces the forces acting on the tower structure and it [the structure] can be up to 50% lighter and the movement of it is also much reduced. [This same design is in use at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral (12 bells, tenor 82-0-11 plus a sharp 2nd semitone.), Washington National Cathedral, USA (10 bells tenor 32-0-4) and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Miami, USA (8 bells tenor 17-3-20). This idea was eventually taken up by the Basildon Development Corporation's architect and engineers working for the parish further developed the idea through to the slender, lightweight glass tower we see today. The original Whitechapel plan was to have the bell frame integral with the tower structure but the engineers have developed a separate bell frame which was created out of 3" diameter steel tube. The tower is octagonal and each bell swings radially and perpendicular to its face. The structure is so well balanced that there is only 1.5mm deflection and thus clearances have been minimised for minimum footprint, between the glass walls and the flight of the tenor's clapper there is only 15mm. The glass is such that it will stand impact from a family-sized car travelling at 30mph (50kph).
Two new bells were cast in 1997 to make a ring of eight and the fourth bell of the original six was found to be cracked and recast in 1983.
The bells are rung from the first floor and can be seen above the third floor, all visible from passers by, many of whom stop to look when they are being rung.
The bell details taken from Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers follow:
#1, the treble, weight 4-0-25, (214.6kg), sounds G, cast 1997 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry
#2, " 4-2-19, (237.2kg), sounds F# , cast 1997 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry
#3, " 5-0-20, (263.1kg), " E, " 1803 by Thomas I Mears
#4, " 5-1-14, (273.1kg), " D, " 1803 by Thomas I Mears
#5, " 5-1-4, (268.5kg), " C, " c1440 by Joanna (or Johanna) Hille
#6, " 6-1-18, (327.5kg), " B, " 1983 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry Ltd.
#7, " 7-3-16, (401.0kg), " A, " 1701 by Henry Pleasant
#8, " 11-2-24,(595.1kg), " G, " c1440 by Joanna (or Johanna) Hille.
The Treble bell was presented by Ronald Brown in Memory of his wife Peggy and was cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry on 6th February 1997 and tuned later in the month.
The 2nd bell was presented by Electronic Office Equipment p.l.c. to commemerate the founding of the company by John and Joan Rolison.
There is one unused bell in the porch of the church cast in 1712 from two other bells, it came from St Mary's Dunton.
Practice night is Wednesday at 7.30 - 9.00pm. and pre-booked tours of the Bell Tower and Church can be arranged for groups and individuals.
There are Public Open Days on the first Saturday of the Month, from May to October.