Bell Tower - St John the Evangelist - Bath, Somerset
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member SMacB
N 51° 22.795 W 002° 21.353
30U E 544826 N 5692270
The bell tower of St John the Evangelist's church on S Parade, which has the highest spire in Bath.
Waymark Code: WMWY61
Location: South West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/29/2017
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member rjmcdonough1
Views: 0

"The foundation stone of the church was laid in October 1861. The church was completed and consecrated in October 1863. The tower and spire were added four years later. The architect Charles Hansom, designer of some fifty Catholic churches in the country and brother of Joseph Aloysius Hansom, the designer of the Hansom Cab, regarded St John's as his best and most rewarding work. The church, on the site of an earlier priory, was built by the Benedictines of Downside Abbey who handed it over to the Clifton Diocese in 1932.

The church is built in the decorated Gothic style with Bath stone used throughout the entire building. The masonry is rustic work in courses. The internal measurements are 140' by 60' increased at the Transept to 73'; the stone tower and spire stand 222' high, being the highest in Bath."

SOURCE - (visit link)

"The bells of St John's have always been praised by local bell ringers (and others) for their richness and purity of tone. There are eight bells and they are dedicated to: 1st St Agnes and St Helen; 2nd St John and St Julia; 3rd St Clement and St Valentine; 4th St James, St Aloysius and St Norbert; 5th St Joseph, St John the Evangelist and St Ester; 6th St John and St Joseph; 7th St Helen and St Elizabeth; 8th Blessed Virgin Mary and St Anne. This is the largest bell. Each bell has the words 'Orate pro nobis'. The 3rd|, 4th, 5th and 8th bells were hung in 1868, the rest in 1878. They were cast and installed by a Loughborough firm (visit link) and the largest of them weighs 19 cwts 2 grs 24 lbs. There is also another bell, inscribed 'Long live Pius IX, Pope and King' which is used for the Elevation of the Mass and the Blessing at Benediction.

The outside clock was made and installed in 1868. Noted for its accurate time keeping, it was reputed to have been used to dispatch the trains in the days before the station was enlarged."

SOURCE - (visit link)

Address of Tower:
St John the Evangelist
South Parade
Bath, Somerset England
BA2 4AF


Still Operational: yes

Number of bells in tower?: 8

Relevant website?: [Web Link]

Rate tower: Not listed

Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Not listed

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.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Bell Towers
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.