The Churches of Puddletown, Tolpuddle and
Milborne St Andrew with Dewlish
The Bells at Puddletown
The Tenor bell weighs about 16 ½ cwt, its diameter is 46” and its height 36”. It was originally cast before the Reformation, about 1530, on the mound south of the church (now built upon) known as Bellbury. In 1552 there were four bells; when Hutchins wrote his History of Dorset in 1774, there were five; the sixth was added in 1897 as a memorial to the wife of the Vicar and at the same time the old tenor bell was recast to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
The bells bear the following inscriptions;
Treble - To the Glory of God, and in memory of Emily Jane Freeman, the beloved wife of the Vicar of Puddletown, 1897.
2nd - John Goodings care twice cause me heare, T.P.W. G I.H.C.W. Anno Domini 1674.
3rd - John Shering Robert Alner Anno Domini 1728, W.K. B. F.
4th - Serve the Lord I.W. 1599.
5th - (No Inscription)
Tenor - John Stile, Robert How, George Stile, Thomas Trentfield, Churchwardens Litel John, Thomas George. Recast in the 60th year of the reign of Queen Victoria by Mears & Stainbank, London. *
*More recently known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and, at the time of its closure on 12th June 2017, was reputed to be the oldest continuous manufacturing business in the country, having started in 1570.
Half-muffled for Remembrance Sunday
Treble Bell
Weights of the Bells
Bell Cwt. qr. lb. Diameter Note
Tenor 16-1-18 c. 46 3/4“ E
5th 12-2-25 41 3/4“ F#
4th 10-1-14 c. 38 5/8 “ G#
3rd 8-2-24 35 1/8 “ A
2nd 6-2-2 32 3/4 “ B
Treble 5-3-2 30 1/2 “ C#
Our New Year's Eve 2019-20 Ringers
Click below to hear a recording of our bells broadcast on 8th May 1945 on the BBC Home Service to celebrate V.E. Day.
The Puddletown bell ringers during 1945 were:
A.J. Parsons (Captain)
W.J. Batten (Sub Captain)
C.J. Knight
C.G. Scott
J.T. Antell
R.G.W. Davies
W.G. Ellis
G.H. Shute
So we can presume 6 of the men listed above were ringing at Puddletown on Tuesday 8th March 1945 and can be heard on the recording.
Bell ringing practice is every Thursday evening from 6:30pm - 8.00pm.
We ring at Milborne St Andrew on the 1st and 3rd Thursday evenings, and at Puddletown on the 2nd and 4th Thursday evening.
All visitors welcome.
If you are interested in learning to ring our bells, please come along to a practice night any Thursday at 6pm, or contact Robin on 07506 737141
The Bells at Milborne
The bells are rung from the ground floor, the height of which is 19’4”. A rope guide frame has been installed at 14’6”. The ringing chamber once had a West end gallery until 1876 when the church was restored.
The bells themselves are inscribed and described as follows:-
Bell Weight Note Diameter Dated Founder
1 3–2–16 F♯ 25.00″ 1967 John Taylor & Co
2 4–0–11 E 27.50″ 1898 John Warner & Sons
3 4–1–19 D 29.13″ 1898 John Warner & Sons
4 5–2–10 C♯ 31.13″ 1898 John Warner & Sons
5 6–0–12 B 32.50″ 1616 William Warre
6 8–3–18 A 37.00″ 1622 John Wallis
A new frame was installed in 1967 and the bells were re-hung by John Taylor and Co at the same time, with the bells being increased from five to a ring of six.
