Ansty, Former Church of St John

Ansty has a single bell hung in a South facing turret. The church opened in 1883 and was rebuilt in 1909, as a memorial to T W Best. It was dedicated by the Bishop of Lewes at a special service.

The church was ministered by the Cuckfield clergy until its closure on Christmas Day 2000. On January 15th 2001, the ringers at Cuckfield rang a quarter peal to commemorate it.
It has now been converted into a home but most of the external features have been retained.

The Bell

Bell	Weight	Diameter	Nominal	Note	Founder	Cast	Canon	Hanging
1		10.88"			John Warner & Sons	1886	Doncaster	Swing Chime

Inscriptions

Photographs

1 Bell
In 1886, a single bell cast by John Warner & Sons was supplied.
It is strapped to a wooden headstock and chimed by a lever. A worrying thing you may notice is that the bell doesn’t hang true with the headstock! The bell is hung on plain bearings and rung by a blue rope.
To access the bell hung in the A frame, two 18-rung ladders are required.

In 1943, a clock was installed in memory of Louisa Best, daughter of T W Best.
A plaque on the wall outside is dedicated to this.

The Frame
The bell hangs in a timber frame for 1, constructed with 1.D trusses. The maker is unknown, and was probably made around 1883.

Visited: 12/04/2022