St Anne & St Agnes, Gresham Street

ST ANNE & ST AGNES, GRESHAM STREET

Photo DrL 24th April, 2004

1 ringing bell

	Weight: 3 cwt approx.
	Hung for ringing in its own timber frame (derelict)
	Tower Stages: 1. Ground: 2. Spiral staircase to empty chamber 3. Ladder to empty chamber 4. Ladder to bell chamber 5. Ladder to base of turret chamber, which has another ladder in it to louvre level. Above that are beams which show signs of holding a bell.
	Access: ground floor door spiral staircase in north west of tower to the roof.
	Formerly a ring of 5 prior to the Great Fire.

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Note

Cast
Founder

Single Bell
3 cwt approx. 23⅞"
1858
John Warner

1. J : WARNER & SONS. LONDON. 1858

PATENT

HISTORY

1548

The old church was severely damaged by fire and reconstructed.

1552

Record of five great bells in the steeple and a little bell.

1620

A source suggests that a bell was recast by Thomas Bartlett.

1666

Church destroyed in the Great Fire. The adjacent church of St John, Zachary was also consumed in the Great Fire and not rebuilt, so its parish was united with that of St Anne & St Agnes.

1680

A source suggests that the bell was recast by Philip Wightman.

1681

Present church completed by Wren. It was built of brick with a western tower 14ft square and 95 ft high.

1708

Record of no bells in the church.

1714

Record of no bells in the church.

1858

Bell cast and hung for full circle ringing in its own timber frame. It is suggested that this is a recast of an earlier bell said to have been cracked by lightning. If so, this earlier bell must have hung in the top of the turret where there are signs of a bearing slots and other beams cut away to make room for a swinging bell.

1940

Church damaged during a bombing raid.

1966

Church rebuilt.

GALLERY

Early engraving.
The Warner bell hung for ringing in its frame with a broken wheel (5th Mar 2010).

The floor beneath the belfry. An extra piece of timber bracing can be seen to the right of the picture pointing up. One edge of the frame is bolted to this piece of timber. The rope hole can also be seen.

Here is a view up the inside of the turret above the belfry. At the top can be seen a square arrangement of beams. On two sides there are bearing slots and on the other two sides, the beams have been cut away to accommodate a swinging bell, probably about the same size as the existing bell. There is also a close up of this frame with these aspects pointed out.