<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> </head> <body><div class="auto-created-dir-div" dir="auto" style="unicode-bidi: embed;"><style>p{margin:0}</style>Very good to have Paul Cubitt's image of the rope guide at West Tofts. As can be seen, it is one of Bowell's wrought iron ones, and perhaps dates from 1934 when two Bells were rehung by him.<div><p><br></p><p>I first visited West Tofts some 55 years ago ! At that time the eight Bells were standing in the Estate Offices occupied by H. M. Forces, along with the six from Tottington and a small Bell from Langford. The single Bell from Stanford had already been recast by Taylors to be the tenor at Kilifi in Africa.</p><p><br></p><p>The West Tofts eight and the Tottington six were subsequently returned to the Church and stood in the base of the tower. There was a substantial gothic screen across the tower arch. There was no ringing gallery, and they had been a ground floor ring. On the first floor was a fine clock (which is, I think, now at East Dereham), the dial of which is now (I think) at Quidenham. Above this is the Bell chamber which still contains the wooden two-tier frame of 1849 / 1856.</p><p><br></p><p>I remember too hearing much about West Tofts from ringers in the King's Lynn area, notably Claude and Walter Cousins, who had both rung at West Tofts, and Ernie Mastin who wished he had! I know they were pealable right up until WW2 and were regarded as a popular ring, despite the lack of a local band in this tiny village. </p><p><br></p><p>My next visit was with Ranald Clouston in 1968, largely to collect data on the Tottington Bells, long unringable, the front five of which were subsequently given to St Alphege, Whitstable, Kent. These Bells were collected on 31st January 1969. The West Tofts eight and the Tottington tenor were left in the base of the tower. Despite the presence of the Military, these nine bells were stolen in two daring raids within a month.</p><p><br></p><p>A very sad story. However, although West Tofts Church remains in the Stanford Practical Training Area (STANTA), the Church has been restored and many of its furnishings have been reinstated. By far the best time to see it is the annual service, usually held in July, which is held under the auspices of the Guild of All Souls, which remains the Patron. There remain two small Bells, Taylor 1856, hung for swing chiming over the Chancel Arch. Note that access is restricted.</p><p><br></p><p>It is some time now since I was last there, so please excuse me for adding E & OE !</p><p><br></p><p>DLC</p><p><br></p><p>Revd David Cawley</p><p>2B St John's Hospital</p><p>Northgate</p><p>Canterbury CT1 1BG </p><p>01227 479871</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><br><blockquote style="margin: 0 auto; padding: 0 2em; border-left:2px solid #00ADE5; white-space: pre-wrap "><br><br>------ Original Message ------<br>From: "Andrew Bull via Bell-historians" <bell-historians@lists.ringingworld.co.uk><br>To: "'Bell Historians Mailing List'" <bell-historians@lists.ringingworld.co.uk><br>Cc: "Andrew Bull" <a_m_bull@yahoo.co.uk><br>Sent: Wednesday, 25 May, 2022 At 17:48<br>Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] west toft norfolk<br><br> <div class="Section1"> <div> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;"> Bell-historians [mailto:bell-historians-bounces@lists.ringingworld.co.uk] <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Behalf Of </span></b>oliver Lee<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> 25 May 2022 17:24<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <span class="wt_Email">bell-historians@lists.ringingworld.co.uk</span><span></span><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Bell Historians] west toft norfolk</span></font><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></font></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">I was wondering if anyone might know when the old eight at west toft where last rung, judging by my own research I get the impression that they never rung that much and they where almost certainly unringable by the time the place was abandoned in the 1950s, However what I am curious to find out is where they ever a gallery ring? (as I can remember reading this somewhere) and was there ever a local band here ?. </span></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Many thanks </span></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Oliver lee </span></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;color: navy;">It seems likely that the bells were rung from a gallery, and that they were still ringable when the village was closed in 1942 when the area became the Battle School Area. There had been a peal rung there on 25 July 1936. The bells were stolen in two raids during 1969. RW 1969 p505, 546, 703, RW 1998 p519, p619 refer. I’m sure David Cawley can add much more information.</span></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Andrew Bull</span></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></font></p> </div> <hr>_______________________________________________<br>
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