A lost chime

[Chris Pickford]

Has anyone ever heard or read of bells at a place called Darlaston Hall 
(or Darleston Hall)? - NOT Darlaston in Staffordshire - but a house on 
the main road at Meriden, Warwickshire.

Demolished in the 1960s, it was first a country house (belonging to 
Clement Fisher), then in the C18 a noted inn called the Bull's Head and 
from about 1835 a house - the home of the Blakesley family by 1841 - 
known as Darleston or Darlaston Hall.

According to an 1874 directory, "Darlaston Hall is an ancient mansion, a 
little to the east of which is a belfry containing 16 bells which form 
one of the most beautiful set of chimes in the kingdom."The building 
with the belfry is shown in a splensis watercolour dates 1762 which 
shows that this was an inn (proprietor John Reynolds) of some size and 
substance, with more turrets on the stable block and on a building at th 
back of the inn yard. Sale particulars of 1920 mention the separate 
building with a clock.

I've never seen any other reference to thses bells, but it sounds as 
though it was the sort of feature that might have been mentioned in 
travel diaries and topographical works.

Does anyone have any further information?

-- 
Chris Pickford 4 Walmsley Court, High Street, Kinver, DY7 6HG Tel: 01384 
878435 or (mobile) 07811 453525 E-mail: c.j.pickford at u5vjjcPu9YNoRSKO-NMlUpzpn_J9cShAAfgLSjgYt8vNIoFeilfsokd7JLGlFzUob3RSb-4FGJOzw-2Ga3RkFSQ.yahoo.invalid or 
(interchangeably) c.j.pickford.t21 at GDeUDJXnr7sAP8FtHfb13EgypaKETaTUwxf_ZFgv8H-7CnGuuj490KxuOOyBn3nl4_Hm0jMXBUQ-xVKGyVjkBtnyI4IYj30gEw.yahoo.invalid
           
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