If you’d like to join a bellringing training group for the village, please contact Stephen Pearson on 07771 857140.
History
There has possibly been a church on the site of the existing church since Saxon times. The church we see today, dedicated to Saint Thomas of Canterbury, dates back to the 1100s. Although the church was substantially rebuilt in 1847, the bell tower, which houses the new bells, is part of the original construction and predates by 200 years any other tower at the mouth of the river Dart.
Technical details of the bells and frame are provided BELOW
Originally the tower had 4 bells dating from about 1599. of which 2 were cast in Exeter. See Historical Note.
The church recently housed a ring of 3 bells (two of which were made by an Exeter foundry in the 16th Century and the third of was recast by Taylors in 1939). They weigh 9cwt and hang in a cast iron and steel “H” frame for six bells which dates from 1939, when Taylor’s recast the tenor and rehung the bells with all new fittings.
In 1939 the work to add three more bells to the existing three in the church tower was stopped by the outbreak of war.
The 2022/4 bells fundraising campaign was run by Friends of St Thomas (FRoST). FRoST is a non-denominational registered Kingswear Charity, supported by the Parochial Church Council and Kingswear Parish Council. FRoST’s campaign was launched in August 2022 for Kingswear’s Platinum Jubilee Project, which was the purchase of a new, fourth bell, for St Thomas Church to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The campaign intended to raise funds to replace the bell that was sold to purchase a clock, which had to be “large enough to be seen from Dartmouth!” The clock was fitted on the tower in tribute to the Jubilee of Queen Victoria, so was very appropriate this new bell would be to celebrate another Royal Jubilee.
The Existing Bells
Funding of the New Bells
Early in 2024 FRoST announced that it had raised enough money for not one, but for a further three bells and the order was placed. The new bells were cast at the historic Taylors Bell Foundry in Loughborough. The first bell commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, celebrated in 2022 and is named The Platinum Jubilee Bell. The second is named the Kingswear-Kittery Coronation Bell and celebrates the Coronation of HM King Charles III in 2023. The third new bell, The Thomas William Lewis Peace Bell was donated by the Lewis family of Kingswear and is dedicated to the memory of Second World War Kingswear evacuee Thomas William Lewis. Thomas was evacuated from London by train and arrived in Kingswear in 1943 and taken in by wartime parents Harry and Dorothy Battershall. More details are provided through this LINK.
Three new treble bells were cast by Taylors Bell Foundry and new ringing fittings were manufactured in 2024 before the bells were hung to complete the ring of six.
Arrival of the Bells
The new bells arrived at Kingswear Train Station from the Taylors Bell Foundry by steam train on Sunday 15th September 2024 at 2.35pm and were welcomed by villagers, officials. They were also welcomed by a and a peal of bells from Dartmouth’s St Saviour’s Church as the train pulled into Kingswear Station. They were on display at St Thomas of Canterbury Church for two days until they were installed in the bell tower.
The 3 Bells
The new bells are the Platinum Jubilee Bell, the Kingswear-Kittery Coronation Bell and the Thomas Lewis Memorial Peace Bell.
Funding for the New Bells
The church’s friends group aimed to buy a new bell as a legacy project to mark the the late Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee. and the coronation of King Charles III.
They were so successful in fundraising efforts they were able to buy a second bell to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles IIIs.
Through the generosity of the Lewis family of Kingswear they were able to buy the 3rd bell – The Thomas William Lewis Peace Bell which is dedicated to the memory of Second World War Kingswear evacuee Thomas William Lewis. His story, and an associated poem, can be viewed through this LINK.
Installation of the New Bells
Installation of the bells took place over 2 days and involved the removal of the intemediate floors and use of block and tackle to lift the bells from the ground floor to the belfry.
After a test ringing, the bells rang out for the first time to announce the Harvest Festival on Friday 20th September 2024 and again to announce the FRoST fund raising concert on Wednesday 27th September. Bell ringers from Churston, Dartmouth and the surrounding area assembled to ring the bells since Kingswear did not have its own team of bell ringers.
Dartmouth Bellringers at the Charity Concert
The church bells were rung Dartmouth Bellringers) from Thursday 26th September 2024 to announce the fundraising concert by the fabulous Cox Trio for the £6k needed to repair three windows at the church. FroST handed over a cheque for £1000 to kick start the fundraising
The Future
The Bishop of Plymouth will dedicate the new bells at a special service at 6pm on Thursday 8th May 2025, 80 years after the end of WWII, as part of a special village celebration event – save the date in your diary!
Hopefully the bells will will be heard for many centuries to come in Kingswear and across the river Dart to Dartmouth and beyond.
Technical
For the technically minded the description of the bells and frame are as follows:
Ring of 6, tenor 9–0–25 in A
| Bells | 6 (full-circle ring)Edit details |
| Tenor | 9–0–25 (1033 lb or 469 kg) in A (859.0 Hz) |
| Overhauled | 2024 by John Taylor & CoFoundation beam ends dug out, treated and re-grouted. Cast iron bell frame and bell fittings cleaned and painted. Three new trebles cast and tuned to augment the ring to six. New ringing fittings manufactured for the three treble bells |
| Peals | No peals listed in the Felstead Database |
| Also | Ground floor ringing chamber |
| Bell | Weight | Nominal | Note | Diameter | Dated | Founder | Canons | Turning | Hanging |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3–1–9 | 1441.9 | F♯ | 24.50″ | 2024 | John Taylor & Co | F | N | FC |
| 2 | 3–2–16 | 1287.4 | E | 25.90″ | 2024 | John Taylor & Co | F | N | FC |
| 3 | 4–1–27 | 1146.8 | D | 28.00″ | 2024 | John Taylor & Co | F | N | FC |
| 4 | 5–1–21 | 1082.0 | C♯ | 30.75″ | c1599† | Thomas Birdall | Y | FC | |
| 5 | 5–3–24 | 964.0 | B | 32.38″ | c1599† | Thomas Birdall | Y | FC | |
| 6 | 9–0–25 | 859.0 | A | 36.25″ | 1939 | John Taylor & Co | F | FC |
Source: JGMS notes; D Sloman; A Higson; J Clarke
Contributed by: [John Scott]
Details of frame
| Frame | Bells | Year | Material | Maker | Truss | Layout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | 1939 | Cast iron | John Taylor & Co | 8.3.C.e | 6.4 |
Source “Dove’s Guide for Church Bell Ringers“
Historical Note
The church originally had four bells in the tower, as reported by the Church Goods Commissioners in 1853: “Of the four medieval bells two still remain, bearing the “it” mark of an unknown founder.
Their legends, as given by Ellacombe, are veryimperfect:
1. .lebs ois 0 I t,
(This should be: plebs ois plaudit ut bis tam sepius audit)
2 Smythe. it. J B. ihs. J
3 Anno Domini 1680. R. & B. & F. CW. WP.
This third is a Pennington bell. In 1767 license was granted to sell one
of the bells towards buying a clock, most likely a third medieval bell
was then parted with.
Clock Mechanism
Scraps
The third new bell, The Thomas William Lewis Peace Bell was donated by the Lewis family of Kingswear and is dedicated to the memory of Second World War Kingswear evacuee Thomas William Lewis.
Thomas was evacuated from London by train and arrived in Kingswear in 1943 and taken in by wartime parents Harry and Dorothy Battershall.
Kingswear Historians 