Norman's Bay, Former Church of St James
About the Bell
1 Bell
The church was built in 1866 after the Duke of Devonshire donated land for a combined school and place of worship.
The building, funded by Canon Simpson, cost £176, and another £70 was spent on an extension in 1879 which gave the church an apse. 100
It wasn’t until 1901 where we see a single bell cast by John Taylor & Co was hung in a B frame at the west end of the church. It measured 11.25” in diameter and swung East to West.
Being the size it was, it has a simple inscription of just JOHN TAYLOR & CO LOUGHBOROUGH 1901.
Around this time, bell founders were beginning to cast bells without canons, therefore this bell could have either had a flat top or even a peg. The bell would have had quite sharp shoulders and a fairly flat crown. Elphick tells us that it required a 27-rung ladder to reach the bell cote.
The only possible reference we have to this bell from the Taylor foundry is a bell cast on April 4th 1901.
The daybook entry shows it was sent to The Reason Manufacturing Co, Lewis Road in Brighton and states, "To one new bell 12 dia. wt. 12lbs. Fittings & frame as shown by illustration bottom of p.32." 101
In 1905, the place name was changed from Pevensey Sluice to Norman’s Bay as a railway halt with the name was built just north of the village. 102
From Photographs of the church, it would appear that the church was originally a dark colour and then painted white.
Due to a diminishing congregation, the church closed in 1967 and was later demolished in 1975.
Visited: 28/01/2023
The church was built in 1866 after the Duke of Devonshire donated land for a combined school and place of worship.
The building, funded by Canon Simpson, cost £176, and another £70 was spent on an extension in 1879 which gave the church an apse. 100
It wasn’t until 1901 where we see a single bell cast by John Taylor & Co was hung in a B frame at the west end of the church. It measured 11.25” in diameter and swung East to West.
Being the size it was, it has a simple inscription of just JOHN TAYLOR & CO LOUGHBOROUGH 1901.
Around this time, bell founders were beginning to cast bells without canons, therefore this bell could have either had a flat top or even a peg. The bell would have had quite sharp shoulders and a fairly flat crown. Elphick tells us that it required a 27-rung ladder to reach the bell cote.
The only possible reference we have to this bell from the Taylor foundry is a bell cast on April 4th 1901.
The daybook entry shows it was sent to The Reason Manufacturing Co, Lewis Road in Brighton and states, "To one new bell 12 dia. wt. 12lbs. Fittings & frame as shown by illustration bottom of p.32." 101
In 1905, the place name was changed from Pevensey Sluice to Norman’s Bay as a railway halt with the name was built just north of the village. 102
From Photographs of the church, it would appear that the church was originally a dark colour and then painted white.
Due to a diminishing congregation, the church closed in 1967 and was later demolished in 1975.
Visited: 28/01/2023
Taylor Entry
Inscriptions:
Elphick gives:
1 |
JOHN TAYLOR & CO LOUGHBOROUGH 1901 |
Photographs:
Photos taken from www.sussex-opc.org
|
Sources:
100 - https://www.sussex-opc.org/index.php?k=338&t=Church
101 - https://bexhill-osm.org.uk/streetnames
100 - https://www.sussex-opc.org/index.php?k=338&t=Church
101 - https://bexhill-osm.org.uk/streetnames
