Hove, Former Town HallThe old town hall contained a chime of 12 bells, hung in a grand tower above the entrance. Alfred Waterhouse was appointed architect in 1878, who also designed Manchester Town Hall in the previous year. It was completed in 1882, though was sadly engulfed by flames in 1966. The tower measured 110ft in height, and featured four large 7' 6" illuminated dials.
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The Bells
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Hanging |
1 |
6-0-24 cwt |
30.00" |
G |
1882 |
Dead |
|
2 |
7-0-7 cwt |
32.00" |
F |
1882 |
Dead |
|
3 |
8-0-7 cwt |
34.00" |
E |
1882 |
Dead |
|
4 |
8-1-19 cwt |
35.00" |
D |
1882 |
Dead |
|
5 |
8-3-20 cwt |
36.50" |
C |
1882 |
Dead |
|
6 |
9-2-22 cwt |
38.00" |
B |
1882 |
Dead |
|
7 |
11-3-18 cwt |
41.00" |
A |
1882 |
Dead |
|
8 |
14-2-10 cwt |
45.00" |
G |
1882 |
Dead |
|
9 |
14-3-0 cwt |
43.50" |
F |
1882 |
Dead |
|
10 |
19-1-3 cwt |
48.00" |
E |
1882 |
Dead |
|
11 |
26-3-10 cwt |
54.50" |
D |
1882 |
Dead |
|
12 |
36-1-7 cwt |
60.00" |
C |
1882 |
Dead |
12 Bells, 36-1-7 in C
Above the entrance, this fine clock tower contained a chime of 12 bells, supplied by the Croydon founders Gillett, Bland & Co. They were cast in 1882 at a cost of £1,567 10s, together with a large clock that played chimes from a pair of tune barrels.
All of the bells were cast with crown staples, in the hope that they might become a ring at a later date. They were also, no doubt, cast with squat "Doncaster" type canons, judging by other examples of early Gillett bells. Bells 1–10 featured the same inscription, with the foundry name and date, followed by a floral band and HOVE 1882 on the waist.
George Nash, who was responsible for obtaining subscriptions towards the clock and bells, is inscribed on the 11th, and James Warnes Howlett on the tenor.
Above the entrance, this fine clock tower contained a chime of 12 bells, supplied by the Croydon founders Gillett, Bland & Co. They were cast in 1882 at a cost of £1,567 10s, together with a large clock that played chimes from a pair of tune barrels.
All of the bells were cast with crown staples, in the hope that they might become a ring at a later date. They were also, no doubt, cast with squat "Doncaster" type canons, judging by other examples of early Gillett bells. Bells 1–10 featured the same inscription, with the foundry name and date, followed by a floral band and HOVE 1882 on the waist.
George Nash, who was responsible for obtaining subscriptions towards the clock and bells, is inscribed on the 11th, and James Warnes Howlett on the tenor.
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James Warners Howlett
Howlett is fundamental to the story of Hove’s old Town Hall, for it was he who was chosen to lay the foundation stone on 22 May 1880, and who also opened it on 13 December 1882. Howlett sat on numerous committees, starting as Chairman, later becoming an alderman in 1898, and the first honorary freeman of Hove in 1911. His name, along with the motto “Floreat Hove”, was inscribed on the waist of the tenor. The bells were hung in a two-tier timber frame and were tuned to the key of C natural. |
James Warnes Howlett
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The Chimes
The clock itself also had two interchangeable chime barrels, which would play every three hours during the day in the Victorian and Edwardian periods.
The following graph shows which tune was played on each day, and on which barrel.:
The clock itself also had two interchangeable chime barrels, which would play every three hours during the day in the Victorian and Edwardian periods.
The following graph shows which tune was played on each day, and on which barrel.:
Date |
Barrel 1 |
Barrel 2 |
Monday |
Home Sweet Home |
God Bless the Prince of Wales |
Tuesday |
The Blue Bells of Scotland |
There's Nae Luck Aboot the House |
Wednesday |
The Harp That Once in Tara’s Hall |
The Last Rose of Summer |
Thursday |
March of the Men of Harlech |
Auld Lang Syne |
Friday |
The Archor is Weighed |
Tom Bowling |
Saturday |
Rule Britannia |
The National Anthem |
Sunday |
Hanover |
Sicilian Mariners' Hymm |
The clock would chime from 9 am to 9 pm, indicating that it was fitted with a 12-hour night-silencing wheel on the going train. The same system can be found at St Leonards on Sea, Christ Church, and Eastbourne Town Hall.
In 1916, it was suggested that the times at which the barrels played should be altered, and this was changed to only four times a day. By the 1950s, the chimes were played only once daily, at 1 pm.
The Clavier apparatus
Since there were fewer than 23 bells, this installation cannot properly be described as a carillon. In addition to the tune barrels, a clavier with ivory keys was attached to the mechanism, enabling different tunes to be played on special occasions. Unlike a piano or an organ, it required a different technique to operate, involving striking the keys with a clenched fist.
Later, S. H. Baker held the unusual and honorary appointment of Borough Organist of Hove, and played the bells on three historic occasions: Armistice Day 1918, Coronation Day (12 May 1937), and V.E. Day 1945. The keyboard was reportedly mislaid between the first two events, but fortunately it was discovered and reinstalled in time.
According to E. V. Lucas, the Admiralty silenced the bells during the First World War on the grounds that their sound might act as a guide to submarines or aircraft. On V.J. Day in 1946, the bells rang out at 8 a.m. with There’ll Always Be an England.
1921 overhaul of hammer wires
An inspection carried out in 1921 concluded that the hammer wires had become corroded by the sea air. Gillett & Johnston quoted £54 for the recommended phosphor-bronze connections, but Hove Council chose the cheaper alternative of galvanised iron wire with extra-thick S-hook joints for £48 10s.
1961 structural overhaul
This year saw the addition of a large steel joist fixed beneath the bell frame, which had been found to be weak.
The Fire of 1966
On 9 January 1966, the Town Hall was destroyed by a fire that started at around 3:15 a.m. Although a great deal of information survives concerning the fire, we will focus primarily on the tower. During the early hours of Sunday morning, it was hoped by the fire brigade that the clock tower could be saved, but access to it was prevented by intense heat. Shortly afterwards, the spire caught fire. The glass panels in the dials shattered, and the clock weights and winding machinery came crashing down. The bell frame was burnt to ashes, causing the bells to fall, but fortunately only as far as the steel joist installed five years earlier.
An article in the Brighton Herald dated 28 January 1966 stated that the cracked bells were resting in the corporation yard and would be recast. After further discussions by the council committee, it was decided that the Town Hall should be entirely demolished and rebuilt. The bells were subsequently scrapped, and nothing remains of the clock mechanism. Apparently, part of the old tenor was preserved and kept as a trophy. The photograph below best shows the tower on fire.
In 1916, it was suggested that the times at which the barrels played should be altered, and this was changed to only four times a day. By the 1950s, the chimes were played only once daily, at 1 pm.
The Clavier apparatus
Since there were fewer than 23 bells, this installation cannot properly be described as a carillon. In addition to the tune barrels, a clavier with ivory keys was attached to the mechanism, enabling different tunes to be played on special occasions. Unlike a piano or an organ, it required a different technique to operate, involving striking the keys with a clenched fist.
Later, S. H. Baker held the unusual and honorary appointment of Borough Organist of Hove, and played the bells on three historic occasions: Armistice Day 1918, Coronation Day (12 May 1937), and V.E. Day 1945. The keyboard was reportedly mislaid between the first two events, but fortunately it was discovered and reinstalled in time.
According to E. V. Lucas, the Admiralty silenced the bells during the First World War on the grounds that their sound might act as a guide to submarines or aircraft. On V.J. Day in 1946, the bells rang out at 8 a.m. with There’ll Always Be an England.
1921 overhaul of hammer wires
An inspection carried out in 1921 concluded that the hammer wires had become corroded by the sea air. Gillett & Johnston quoted £54 for the recommended phosphor-bronze connections, but Hove Council chose the cheaper alternative of galvanised iron wire with extra-thick S-hook joints for £48 10s.
1961 structural overhaul
This year saw the addition of a large steel joist fixed beneath the bell frame, which had been found to be weak.
The Fire of 1966
On 9 January 1966, the Town Hall was destroyed by a fire that started at around 3:15 a.m. Although a great deal of information survives concerning the fire, we will focus primarily on the tower. During the early hours of Sunday morning, it was hoped by the fire brigade that the clock tower could be saved, but access to it was prevented by intense heat. Shortly afterwards, the spire caught fire. The glass panels in the dials shattered, and the clock weights and winding machinery came crashing down. The bell frame was burnt to ashes, causing the bells to fall, but fortunately only as far as the steel joist installed five years earlier.
An article in the Brighton Herald dated 28 January 1966 stated that the cracked bells were resting in the corporation yard and would be recast. After further discussions by the council committee, it was decided that the Town Hall should be entirely demolished and rebuilt. The bells were subsequently scrapped, and nothing remains of the clock mechanism. Apparently, part of the old tenor was preserved and kept as a trophy. The photograph below best shows the tower on fire.
The New Town Hall
A new Town Hall, designed by John Wells-Thorpe in the Brutalist style in 1968, was completed two years later. The new building does not appear to have any bells, but it does feature three large clock dials with baton numerals and simple hands.
A new Town Hall, designed by John Wells-Thorpe in the Brutalist style in 1968, was completed two years later. The new building does not appear to have any bells, but it does feature three large clock dials with baton numerals and simple hands.
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is around the inscription band*
1 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
2 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
3 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
4 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
5 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
6 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
7 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
8 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON LONDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
9 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
10 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON LONDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ HOVE 1882 |
11 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CLOCK MANUFACTURERS & BELL FOUNDERS CROYDON LONDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ GEORGE NASH CHAIRMAN TOWN HALL COMMITTEE 1881 |
12 |
CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CLOCK MANUFACTURERS TO HER MAJESTY CROYDON LONDON ⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛ FLOREAT HOVA 1881 JAMES WARNES HOWLETT CHAIRMAN HOVE COMMISSIONERS |
Latin translation:
12: FLOREAT HOVA - May Hove flourish.
⚛ = Fig. GBC, 2
12: FLOREAT HOVA - May Hove flourish.
⚛ = Fig. GBC, 2
Sources:
© Kye L Leaver 2026. All rights reserved.
- ELPHICK, George P (1970): Sussex Bells & Belfries
- https://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/places/placecivic/hove-town-hall/hove-town-hall
- https://hovehistory.blogspot.com/2019/03/amalgamation-and-hove.html
© Kye L Leaver 2026. All rights reserved.
