|
 Bell Tower - St Peter - Sandwich, Kent Posted by:  SMacB
N 51° 16.493 E 001° 20.422
31U E 384237 N 5681701
St Peter's is the guardian of an ancient Sandwich tradition. Every day at 8pm the curfew bell rings out, signalling that the townspeople should cover their fires to make them safe for the night. This was once known as the 'pigbell'.
Waymark Code: WMTNJ9
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/18/2016
Views: 1
St Peter's is the guardian of an ancient Sandwich tradition. Every day at 8pm the curfew bell rings out, signalling that the townspeople should cover their fires to make them safe for the night. This was once known as the 'pigbell', as it also informed people they could release their animals into the street.
Sandwich, Kent
S Peter |
|
Bells |
|
Bell |
Weight |
Nominal |
Note |
Diameter |
Dated |
Founder |
Canons |
Turning |
|
1 |
4-2-27 |
|
Eb |
27.50" |
1779† |
William Mears |
Y |
N |
|
2 |
5-0-13 |
|
D |
29.25" |
1779† |
William Mears |
Y |
N |
|
3 |
5-3-15 |
|
C |
31.00" |
1779† |
William Mears |
Y |
N |
|
4 |
7-1-24 |
|
Bb |
33.75" |
1779† |
William Mears |
Y |
N |
|
5 |
7-2-23 |
|
Ab |
35.38" |
1779† |
William Mears |
Y |
N |
|
6 |
9-2-1 |
|
G |
37.75" |
1779† |
William Mears |
Y |
N |
|
7 |
11-3-13 |
|
F |
41.75" |
1779† |
William Mears |
Y |
N |
|
8 |
15-2-9 |
|
Eb |
45.38" |
1779† |
William Mears |
Y |
4 |
|
Source: GAD; CBC; DrL; Stahlschmidt; D Cawley; TimJ |
Sandwich, Kent
S Peter |
|
Frames |
|
Frame |
Bells |
Year |
Material |
Maker |
Truss |
Layout |
|
1 |
1,2,3,4,6,7,8 |
1727 [c1779] |
|
Knight or Catlin |
|
|
SOURCE - (Visit Link)
|
|
1546 |
|
A man was killed while ringing the 3rd. |
|
|
1641 |
|
Tower described as cracked. |
|
|
1663 |
|
Upper portion of the tower blew down in a gale. |
|
|
1727 |
|
6 bells were purchased from Canterbury Cathedral. The tenor was recast by Samuel Knight and all 6, known as the "Oxfords" were hung in the tower. |
|
|
1760 |
|
Fausset records 5 bells in the tower, 4 by Joseph Hatch dated 1625, and a tenor by Samuel Knight, dated 1727. [1] |
|
|
1779 |
|
The 6 bells were recast into 8 by William Mears. |
|
|
1795 |
|
Record of 8 bells in the tower. [2] |
|
|
1800 |
|
Record of 8 bells. [3] |
|
|
1815 |
|
A new headstock was provided for the treble. |
|
|
1823 |
|
The only peal to have been rung here was rung by the Quex Institution. |
|
|
1892 |
|
The 4th was repaired. A meeting of the KCACR was held here in this year. |
|
|
1898 |
|
New clock and chimes fitted by Gillett & Johnston. |
|
|
1913 |
|
Bells last rung, for a wedding when "dust seemed to fall" (local inf. Per Mr J. Bowles, formerly Secretary of the RCF). |
|
|
1932 |
|
Tenor quarter-turned, rehung and fitted with ball bearings by Mears & Stainbank at a cost of £33.15s. |
|
|
1948 |
|
Church ceased to be a parish church and was used as the Chapel of Sir Roger Manwood's School. |
|
|
1973 |
22nd Feb |
Church declared redundant. |
|
|
1974 |
|
The KCACR made proposals for rehanging the bells to the RCF. The tower was subsequently underpinned, the clock rebuilt, new steps put in - and the bells left in their dereliction. That year, on 16th Oct, the Redundancy Scheme Church was vested in the Chur |
|
|
1979 |
|
Estimates for restoration were again sought but the work was vetoed by the church architect. The belfry was cleared of rubbish and fragments of old wheels, etc. |
|
|
2011 |
|
The tenor was rehung on new ball bearings by Whitechapel. |
|
[1] |
"This Church consists of The Chancell, Body, and N. Isle. It had formerly a S. Isle, wch. is now demolish’d, the Ground where it stood making a Part of the Church Yard. At The East End stands the abovemention’d Chantry, or St Peters School. The Tower whic (Rev’d Bryan Faussett, 1760) |
|
[2] |
It now consists of two aisles and a chancel, with a square tower, containing a peal of eight bells, in the middle. Formerly there was a South aisle, but it was destroyed by the falling on October 12th 1661, though the walls of it still remain, about breas (Zechariah Cozens, 1795) |
|
[3] |
The rubbish was three fathom deep in the middle of the church, the bells underneath it. There are eight small but musical bells, cast in 1779; they cost 430l. 12s. 6d. which expence was in great measure defrayed by the metal of the former six old bells. ('The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol 9', Edward Hasted) |
SOURCE - (Visit Link)
Address of Tower:
St Peter
Market St
Sandwich, Kent England
CT13 9DA
Still Operational: no
Number of bells in tower?: 8
Relevant website?: [Web Link]
Rate tower: 
Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Yes
|
Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the tower taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this tower and any other interesting information you learned about it while there.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|
|