St Benet's Guild Church - Bennet's Hill, London, UK
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Master Mariner
N 51° 30.700 W 000° 05.964
30U E 701267 N 5710715
St Benet Guild Church has a tower at the western end of the building that contains two bells that were cast in 1683. The church was rebuilt to a Wren design following the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Waymark Code: WMQ1AD
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/28/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member lumbricus
Views: 2

The Loves Guide website tells us about St Benet's bells:

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Note

Cast

Founder

1

2 cwt approx. 22" A

1683

William Wightman

2

5 cwt approx. 271/2" D 1683 William Wightman
1552 Record of 3 bells and a sanctus bell ("iij belles & a saunce bell in the Steple").
1605-6 Churchwardens accounts record the purchase of 2 new bellropes.
1614-5 Churchwardens accounts record 11s paid to Mr Farram for new trussing fower of the bells.
1618 One of the bells was recast and "second casting of the bell". The name of the founder was not recorded.
1622-3 Churchwardens accounts record a new wheel for the 2nd bell and trussing a bell.
1623-4 Churchwardens accounts record the purchase of 4 new bellropes.
1628-9 Churchwardens accounts record the purchase of ropes for all the bells.
1630-1 Churchwardens accounts record the purchase of ropes for all 5 bells.
1631-2 Churchwardens accounts record: "pd the bell hanger for mending the bell wheels and for new catches to all the bells and for new hanging them as by his bill appears" £2.10.0, to the smith for iron work for the bells 12s.6d; 1634-5 for carrying of the old Saints bell."
1635-6 Churchwardens accounts record a sum "for a new saints bell and placing the clocke upon it £9.7.8; 1635-6 new wheels for the bells and work about the bells (£4.1.10), new ropes, for 2 clappers and mending and cutting the other (£1.2.0); 1637-8 Paid for a set of bell ropes and a new Sants bell rope and Tenor rope and hanging them, £1.1.6."
1666 Church and bells destroyed by the Great Fire.
1683 Church rebuilt (1681-7) by Wren and 2 bells cast by William Wightman for the new tower.
1708 Record of 2 bells.
1714 Paterson records that "no Peal of Bells yet set up".
1724 Record of 2 bells.

Wikipedia has an article about St Benet's church that tells us:

The Church of St Benet Paul's Wharf is a Welsh Anglican church in the City of London. Since 1556, it has also been the official church of the College of Arms in which many officers of arms have been buried. In 1666 it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, after which it was rebuilt and merged with nearby St Peter's. The current church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. It is one of only four churches in the City of London to escape damage during World War II.

St. Benet's traces its history back to the year 1111, when a church was built on the site and dedicated to St Benedict. Over time the name was abbreviated to St. Benet. To the west of the site was the watergate of Baynard's Castle, which is referenced in the biographies of Queen Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey. Both the church and the castle were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. It was rebuilt by the architect Christopher Wren, and reopened in 1683.

St Benet's is a Grade I listed building with the entry at the Historic England website telling us:

1677 to 85, by Wren. Square compartment of 3 bays with north aisle and short west aisle to south of west tower. Exterior of red brick with modest dressings of painted stone and richly carved festoons above windows. Modillion eaves-cornice of timber. Hipped, tiled roof, in 3 sections to north aisle. Blind panel to centre of east front. Pedimented doorcase at south end of west aisle. Simple tower in 3 main stages with quoins, circular and round-arched windows and stone frames, simply mullioned belfry openings. Timber cornice capped by lead-covered cupola with lantern and weathervane.

Address of Tower:
St Benet's Guild Church
Bennet's Hill
London, United Kingdom


Still Operational: yes

Number of bells in tower?: 2

Relevant website?: [Web Link]

Rate tower:

Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Unknown

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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Benchmark Blasterz visited St Benet's Guild Church - Bennet's Hill, London, UK 07/17/2016 Benchmark Blasterz visited it