Bell Tower - St Bartholomew - Hognaston, Derbyshire - Bell Towers on Waymarking.com

"The very heart of the village through the Middle Ages was the church. The villagers used it for baptisms, marriages, burials and worship. The sanctuary, or chancel, was the responsibility of whoever held the advowson, that is, the right to represent the priest. The nave and the tower, however, were the responsibility of the parishioners. They used it for their court meetings, to store their ploughs and grain, and their treasures and documents were kept in the village chest. In times of trouble the bell would be sounded and the people would hurry with their livestock to the church for protection. As a last resort they could climb the tower and pull up the ladder after them. The five foot thick walls and narrow slits were their equivalent of the castle keep. Until the Reformation, the church and its precincts were sanctuary. The cross, marking this, has since disappeared. In the lawless and anarchic times ‘ of the Middle Ages, the right of sanctuary was a blessing for anyone .fleeing oppression or injustice. They could stay in the church for forty days, the priest being responsible for the welfare. They were then tried by the village or manor court.. If guilty, they had to go to the nearest port, keeping to the highway, dressed in their shirt alone.

The base of the tower with its three lancet windows, its shallow buttresses, and the nave arch suggest a transition from Norman to Early English in style, from 1200, a little later than the doorway and font. The two upper floors are of a different stonework and were most likely re­built with the massive supporting buttress in the late 15th century.

One other relic of this ancient church is the slimmer of the two bells hanging in the tower. Expert opinion states that, “without doubt it was cast in the early years of the 13th century, say between 1200 and 1220”. The other bell to be seen is inscribed ‘H. BUCSTON N. BRADLEY 1670’. Both bells have retained their good tones, but they were replaced by the present clock and three bells. They were presented in 1911 by John Smith of the famous Derby firm of clock-makers in memory of the first John Smith, a native of Hognaston."

SOURCE - (visit link)

Address of Tower: St Bartholomew Stonepit Lane Hognaston , Derbyshire England DE6 1PR Still Operational: yes Number of bells in tower?: 3 Relevant website?: Not listed Rate tower: Not listed Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Not listed

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