Horsted Keynes, St Giles
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
6 cwt |
31.75" |
John Palmer |
1653 |
Removed |
Unhung |
||
2 |
7 cwt |
34.25" |
879 Hz |
A |
Edmund Giles |
1604 |
Full Circle |
|
3 |
9¾ cwt |
37.88" |
851 Hz |
G# |
1633 |
Full Circle |
About the Bells
3 Bells, 9-3-0 in G#
Horsted Keynes houses 3 bells in a central tower originally hung for full circle.
The tower is from the 13th Century when the church was remodeled. However, alterations to the tower also occurred in the 14th Century too. This is probably the explanation for the irregular buttresses. One particular features about the tower is the louvres for there are a twin set on the North wall; a single one and one below that one on the West wall and an unfinished twin one on the South wall behind the clock dial. The spire is shingled and has had recent restoration taken place on it. At the top is a weather vane which was repaired by a steeple jack who made that his last ever job before retirement.
The spire was also repaired in 1604 which was the same year Edmund Giles added a bell.
They are rung from the ground floor but only 1 rope remains. The rope holes for the treble and tenor are still present but their condition doesn't allow them to be rung. The rope is connected to the Edmund Giles bell and is used as a service bell.
The tower is divided up in the same way as many other Sussex towers with the ring chamber on the ground floor, above that is the intermediate clock chamber and then the belfry. Access to each one is by ladders.
In the belfry, the first bell you come to is the 2nd.
The treble was cast in 1653 by John Palmer of Canterbury. He set up his founding business in the church of St Dunstan on the city walls of Canterbury around 1635. John Palmer also appears to have came from Gloucestershire before that as one of his bells are at Sandhurst in 1621.
The unfortunate thing with the treble is that the bell is now sat on the floor of the belfry with the canons broken off. The bell also has 4 holes drilled into the top of it with an old strap coming out. It is also cracked.
The second was cast by Edmund Giles in 1604 and as stated above, it is the only working bell remaining. It has a full wheel but due to the absence of a stay, slider and pulleys, it can not be rung full circle. Edmund Giles cast many bells around Sussex and Elphick states that he was a very careful bell founder and would tidy up edges if they were not to standard. His moulding wires were on the heavier side and course as can been seen on the 2nd here.
The 2nd was overhauled by The Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1983.
Finally the tenor was cast in 1633 by Bryan Eldridge. Many of his bells are dotted in and outside of Sussex and they give off a very distinctive tone. The tenor still has a section of the wheel on it and wooden stock but there is no stay. It doesn't appear to have been turned by the canon orientation. Around the inscription band is the common GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS followed by the date and his initials. On the Horsted Keynes bell, he also uses his stop in the shape of a heart (Fig. BRE,1).
This bell was made by Bryan Eldridge the elder who was based in Horsham and now serves as the clock bell.
The frame is made from timber and feature Q trusses with straight braces. The frame is in the typical 3.1 layout and the bells swing from East to West. A small ladder is required to get to the bells as the frame is 7' high from sill to head!
Additional trusses can be seen from the heads to the end posts for support.
In 1660, the rector of Horsted Keynes gave 3/- to the ringers for bell ringing when Charles the 2nd came to the throne.
The sketch of the frame is what it was like with the wheels and rope holes.
Horsted Keynes houses 3 bells in a central tower originally hung for full circle.
The tower is from the 13th Century when the church was remodeled. However, alterations to the tower also occurred in the 14th Century too. This is probably the explanation for the irregular buttresses. One particular features about the tower is the louvres for there are a twin set on the North wall; a single one and one below that one on the West wall and an unfinished twin one on the South wall behind the clock dial. The spire is shingled and has had recent restoration taken place on it. At the top is a weather vane which was repaired by a steeple jack who made that his last ever job before retirement.
The spire was also repaired in 1604 which was the same year Edmund Giles added a bell.
They are rung from the ground floor but only 1 rope remains. The rope holes for the treble and tenor are still present but their condition doesn't allow them to be rung. The rope is connected to the Edmund Giles bell and is used as a service bell.
The tower is divided up in the same way as many other Sussex towers with the ring chamber on the ground floor, above that is the intermediate clock chamber and then the belfry. Access to each one is by ladders.
In the belfry, the first bell you come to is the 2nd.
The treble was cast in 1653 by John Palmer of Canterbury. He set up his founding business in the church of St Dunstan on the city walls of Canterbury around 1635. John Palmer also appears to have came from Gloucestershire before that as one of his bells are at Sandhurst in 1621.
The unfortunate thing with the treble is that the bell is now sat on the floor of the belfry with the canons broken off. The bell also has 4 holes drilled into the top of it with an old strap coming out. It is also cracked.
The second was cast by Edmund Giles in 1604 and as stated above, it is the only working bell remaining. It has a full wheel but due to the absence of a stay, slider and pulleys, it can not be rung full circle. Edmund Giles cast many bells around Sussex and Elphick states that he was a very careful bell founder and would tidy up edges if they were not to standard. His moulding wires were on the heavier side and course as can been seen on the 2nd here.
The 2nd was overhauled by The Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1983.
Finally the tenor was cast in 1633 by Bryan Eldridge. Many of his bells are dotted in and outside of Sussex and they give off a very distinctive tone. The tenor still has a section of the wheel on it and wooden stock but there is no stay. It doesn't appear to have been turned by the canon orientation. Around the inscription band is the common GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS followed by the date and his initials. On the Horsted Keynes bell, he also uses his stop in the shape of a heart (Fig. BRE,1).
This bell was made by Bryan Eldridge the elder who was based in Horsham and now serves as the clock bell.
The frame is made from timber and feature Q trusses with straight braces. The frame is in the typical 3.1 layout and the bells swing from East to West. A small ladder is required to get to the bells as the frame is 7' high from sill to head!
Additional trusses can be seen from the heads to the end posts for support.
In 1660, the rector of Horsted Keynes gave 3/- to the ringers for bell ringing when Charles the 2nd came to the throne.
The sketch of the frame is what it was like with the wheels and rope holes.
Bell 2
Bell 3
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is inscriptions within the inscription band*
1 |
IOHᴎ ⁙ PALMAR ⁙ BEL ⁙ FOVᴎDAR ⁙ MADE ⁙ ME ⁙ 1653 |
2 |
EDMVND ♢ GILES ♢ OF LEWES ♢ MADE ♢ ME ANNO DNI ♢ 1604 ♢ |
3 |
GLORIA ♡ DEO ♡ Iᴎ ♡ EXCELSIS ♡ 1633 ♡ B ♡ E |
Latin Translation:
3: GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS - Glory to God in the highest.
♡ = Fig. BRE,1
3: GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS - Glory to God in the highest.
♡ = Fig. BRE,1
Photographs:
Credit to Oliver E P Watson for the photos.
