Whatton
St John of Beverley

Bells

The church has a central tower with a ring of eight bells and a Sanctus bell.

Archbishop Cranmer is said to have listened to the ‘tuneable bells of Whatton’ from Aslockton at which time there were four bells and a Sanctus bell. The Sanctus bell is the only one existing in its original form and is pre-reformation, being cast between 1390 and 1420. Its diameter is 14.5 inches and has the inscription ‘Ave Maria Gracia Plena’ – Hail Mary full of Grace.

'The Ring of 6', 1913 'The new frame for
Ring of 6', 1913

The old frame, incised RB1625, was removed in 1913 when the peal was raised to six and hung in a cast iron frame by Gilletts in 1913. This was modified in 1966 and extended in 1969 by Taylors when the peal was made up to eight by the addition of two more bells with money raised by ringers and parishioners.

All the bells have cast iron headstocks, and the old back five have lost their canons. The bells were rehung on ball bearings in 1966 and the letters in brackets on the Gillett bell have been removed. The back five bells are by Henry Oldfield of Nottingham who was one of the principal English bellfoundries between 1539-1741. The tenor bell is one of his earliest.

Details of the bells:

  Inscription Size Weight
1

JOHN TAYLOR & CO * FOUNDERS * LOUGHBOROUGH

THE BARRON BELL TRUST
AND
THE SOUTHWELL DIOCESAN GUILD OF
CHURCH BELL RINGERS
GAVE ME 1969

 26½" 3.3.17
2

JOHN TAYLOR & CO * FOUNDERS * LOUGHBOROUGH

THE PARISHIONERS,
THE RINGERS
AND
FRIENDS
GAVE ME
1969

 27½" 4.1.14
3

CAST BY GILLOTT AND JOHNSTON CROYDON 1913

ALL GAVE ME

 30" 5.1.3
4

GOD SAVE HIS CHURCH ROBERT GELSTROP 1618

 32" 5.3.10
5

my roaringe sound doth warning geve that men cannot heare always lyve 1618

 34½" 6.1.26
6 JAMES GELSTROP RICHARD BEL WARDENS 1618 36¾" 7.3.27
7 All men that heare my mornful sound repent before you lye in ground 1618 41" 10.2.13

8
E

JESUS BE OUR SPEDE

WBV MS RB 1590

 44½" 13.0.24