Bell Frame

This bell frame dates from the seventeenth century and allows for the hanging of three bells. It is constructed of oak, and several of the timbers have been re-used from an earlier frame. It cam from the church of St Mary, Stoughton, West Sussex.*

Bell Frame

Shingled Spire

The spire over the bell frame was constructed in 2009, to illustrate best practice in fixing hand-cleft shingles. Both the framing and the shingling of the spire were partly carried out students learning these important crafts.*

*from the Weald & Downland Living Museum souvenir guide

16 Comments CherryPie on Jan 22nd 2019

16 Responses to “Bell Frame”

  1. Who stole the other two bells? ;)

  2. ....peter says:

    nice set of pictures of the bell and the frame Cherie….peter:)

  3. They look heavy.
    Coffee is on

  4. The Yum List says:

    Is it quite incredible how wood lasts so long.

  5. lisl says:

    Good to see how things are built and how they work, Cherie

  6. Ginnie says:

    Getting into the nitty-gritty of bells, Cherry. I like that. :)

  7. Astrid says:

    I so love to read that “students learning the trade” made this spire. It is beautiful. My son was in a technical school and in the third year they were for 4 days at a company and the 5th fay he was at school…. he learned a lot about “the real world” back then.

  8. Shabana says:

    wonderful detailed images of such an old bell

    really well built

    wasn’t familiar the use of bell in your part of land as mostly i know that bell are part of Hindu religious pilgrimage

    • CherryPie says:

      It is traditional for us to have bells in the tower of our churches. They used to ring out before church services, they were beautiful to hear.

      Mostly this tradition has gone (for many reasons).

      I miss the sound of the bells but can reconnect with (sounds of my youth) when I visit some Cathedral Cities where the bells still ring out in all their glory :-)

      The sound still calls me to spiritual thoughts and connections.