Bell Tower - St Peter - Sandwich, Kent
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member 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
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member MountainWoods
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)

Inscriptions -

History -

  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.
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