Love's Guide to the Church Bells of the City of London

Temple Church, Temple

Photo: Dickon Love, 10 Feb 2012

Details of the Bells

	Bell		Weight (most recent)	Diameter	Note	Date	Founder	Retuned
ꓕ	Single bell			38"	B♭	1686	James Bartlett, Whitechapel

ꓕ - Hung dead

Inscriptions

How the bells are tuned

History

	1185		The church was consecrated. It was originally the headquarters of the Knights Templar.
	1307		The Knights Templar were abolished and the church went to the Crown.
	1666		The church was undamaged in the Great Fire of London.
	1686		A bell was cast by James Bartlett, as part of Sir Christopher Wren's refurbishment, and hung for ringing in its own frame at the top of a turret tower on the north side of the church. It is quite possible that the turret was built around the bell.

Views of the tower

Photo: Dickon R Love, 24 Nov 2011

Rather than a base for a tower, this addition was built to house the organ.
Photo: Dickon R Love, 24 Nov 2011

Pictures from the belfry

View up the spire. Photo: Dickon R Love, 24 Nov 2011	Remains of the old bell wheel. Photo: Dickon R Love, 24 Nov 2011	Photo: Dickon R Love, 24 Nov 2011
Photo: Dickon R Love, 24 Nov 2011	There is very little room in the belfry as it is only just large enough to fit the bell. You can see here that the bell used to sit in plain bearings, but has since been hung dead on a raised platform. Photo: Dickon R Love, 24 Nov 2011	Photo: Dickon R Love, 27 Feb 2014
Photo: Dickon R Love, 27 Feb 2014	Photo: Dickon R Love, 27 Feb 2014	Photo: Dickon R Love, 27 Feb 2014
Photo: Dickon R Love, 27 Feb 2014	Photo: Dickon R Love, 27 Feb 2014

Love's Guide to the Church Bells of the City of London

Page updated: 13 October 2019