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

St Martin-within-Ludgate, Ludgate Hill

Photo: Dickon R Love, 13 Apr 2021

Details of the Bells

	Bell	Weight (most recent)	Diameter	Note	Date	Founder	Retuned
҈	Smaller	1 cwt approx.	19"		1683	Philip Wightman, Clerkenwell	Never
҈	Larger	3½cwt approx.	25½"		1672	John Hodson, Whitechapel	Never

҈ - Unhung

Inscriptions

History

	1444		Record of 4 bells. Malcolm says that "Maister John Kermeydon met his parishioners in the chapel of St John the Baptist on 21 March 1445 tto fix the charges for tolling each of the four bells"
	1552		Record of 5 bells and a Sanctus [1]
	1623		The ancient church was repaired.
	1666		The church was destroyed in the Great Fire.
	1672		A bell was cast by John Hodson - the current disused service bell.
	1683		A bell was cast by Philip Wightman - the current disused sanctus bell on display.
	1684		The church rebuilding completed (by Wren). The tower rises at the centre of the south front of the church facing Ludgate Hill with a lead covered octagonal cupola supporting a balcony, the base of which is encircled by a balcony. It has a tapered spire with rising to a height of 158 ft.
	1708		Record of the 2 bells in the tower.
	1824		Record of the 2 bells in the tower.
	1897		The smaller bell was described as disused hanging just below the spirelet at the top of the steeple.

[1]

Item V grete Belles. Item a small Saunce bell. (Edwardian Inventory, 1552)

Pictures of the church

The church in 1814 by George Shepherd .
Photo:

Pictures of the bells

Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 Jan 2007	Part of the timber frame and old wheel. Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 Jan 2007	The service bell disused in the corner of the belfry underneath a large timber frame. Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 Jan 2007
Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 Jan 2007	The old Sanctus sitting in the church. Photo: Dickon R Love, 25 Jan 2007

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

Page updated: 25 April 2021