The Bells of St Mary’s Church, Pulborough

A Pulborough Post feature

As you walk around Pulborough, the bells of St Mary’s can regularly be heard ringing out. They are Pulborough’s oldest public voice, still speaking clearly across the Arun Valley. The bells have a fascinating story chiming over many centuries and form an important part of Pulborough’s history.

The bells of St Mary’s are more than instruments — they are living artefacts, each carrying the mark of its maker, its era, and the community that has cared for them.

From the Purdues of the 17th century to the Taylor foundry of today, Pulborough’s bells form a continuous thread of sound linking generations of villagers across four centuries.

Why the Bells Matter

• The bells are more than heritage objects — they are active cultural assets:
• They mark Sunday worship, weddings, funerals, and national events.
• They connect Pulborough to centuries of English ringing tradition.
• They preserve the craftsmanship of founders whose work is now rare or extinct.
• They provide a shared soundscape that has shaped village life for generations.

400 Years

St Mary’s Church holds one of the most historically varied and technically fascinating rings of bells in West Sussex, spanning nearly 400 years of English bellfounding. The peal tells a story of medieval worship, Victorian expansion, twentieth‑century restoration, and modern craftsmanship — all still heard across the Arun Valley today.

Ages and Origins: A Peal Across the Centuries

St Mary’s has eight tower bells, ranging in date from 1636 to 2012, plus several historic school bells preserved in the ringing chamber.

• 1636 – Bryan II Eldridge - The oldest bell originally in the ring, cast by the Eldridge family of Chertsey. By 2005 it could no longer be tuned to match the rest of the peal, so it was retained as a Service Ringing Bell and fitted with an electro‑magnetic hammer.
• 1665 – William III & Roger II Purdue - The tenor bell, the heaviest and deepest‑voiced, dates from 1665. It retains its original canons and is mounted in a canon‑retaining headstock — a rare survival.
• 1754 – Lester & Pack - A mid‑Georgian bell from one of London’s major foundries of the era.
• 19th century additions (1858, 1876, 1897) Bells by Charles & George Mears, John Warner & Sons, and John Taylor & Co reflect Victorian investment in church music and the national revival of change‑ringing. Three of the lighter bells were added in 1898 to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
• 20th century – 1928 (Mears & Stainbank) - Another bell from the Whitechapel foundry lineage, now preserved in the ringing chamber.
• 21st century – 2005 & 2012 (Taylors, Eayre & Smith / John Taylor & Co) - Modern bells were added during the major 2005 overhaul, including a new bell replacing the 1636 Eldridge bell in the main peal. A further Taylor bell was cast in 2012.

Significant Changes and Restorations

St Mary’s bells have undergone several major interventions:

• 1897 – Installation of the cast‑iron H‑frame: The current bell frame, made at the Loughborough foundry, was installed to support the Victorian expansion of the ring.
• 2005 – Full refurbishment and tuning: John Taylor & Co carried out a major overhaul:
  • bells were tuned,
  • new steel headstocks fitted,
  • wheels replaced,
  • the Eldridge bell reassigned as a service bell. This work brought the ring into modern ringing standards while preserving historic fabric.
• 2006 – Clock mechanism modernised: The historic John Bennett clock (c.1857–63) received electric winding motors, replacing the weekly manual winding of its heavy weights.

What the Bells Are Made Of?

All tower bells at St Mary’s are cast bronze, traditionally a mix of copper and tin known as bell metal. This alloy produces the resonance required for change‑ringing and has been used consistently across centuries of English bellfounding. The frame is cast iron (1897) with steel girders, and modern fittings use steel headstocks.

Who Made the Bells?

St Mary’s bells represent an extraordinary cross‑section of English founders:

• Bryan II Eldridge (1636) – Chertsey
• William III & Roger II Purdue (1665) – Somerset bellfounders
• Lester & Pack (1754) – London
• Charles & George Mears (1858) – Whitechapel
• John Warner & Sons (1876) – London
• John Taylor & Co (1897, 2012) – Loughborough
• Taylors, Eayre & Smith (2005) – Loughborough (restoration and new casting)
• Mears & Stainbank (1928) – Whitechapel

Where the Bells Came From?

Most bells were cast specifically for St Mary’s, but several have notable origins:

• School bells from Nutbourne, North Heath, and Pulborough These were salvaged when the old school buildings closed and are now preserved in the ringing chamber. Their turrets can still be seen on the former school buildings.
• The 2005 replacement bell - Cast at Loughborough to replace the Eldridge bell in the main ring.
• The 1897 frame - Manufactured at the Loughborough foundry and transported to Pulborough for installation.

The Bells Today

St Mary’s bells are rung:

• Every Sunday morning,
• Monday evening practices,
• For weddings, civic occasions, and national events.

The ring is known for its rich tone, shaped by centuries of craftsmanship and the careful 2005 tuning.

Get Involved

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at bellringing?

St Mary's Bell ringers are always pleased to welcome beginners or experienced ringers. 

Practice night is Monday 7.30pm to 9pm

Please contact the Tower Captain, Lucinda Barton on 07742 449160

References for information included in these articles:

Primary Sources (Direct, Authoritative Records)

• St Mary’s Church Pulborough – Tower Records & Belfry Log internal documents held by the church, including inscriptions, maintenance logs, and restoration notes.
• Bell Inscriptions (physical evidence) Each bell carries founder marks, dates, and inscriptions that confirm origin, maker, and age.
• John Taylor & Co (Loughborough) – Restoration Reports (2005, 2012) Technical documentation from the foundry responsible for the modern overhaul and new castings.
• Whitechapel Bell Foundry Archives Records relating to bells cast by Mears, Mears & Stainbank, and Lester & Pack.
• Churchwardens’ Accounts (historic) Parish financial records often include payments to founders for casting, transport, or installation.

Secondary Sources (Published Histories & Expert Compilations)

• Dove’s Guide for Church Bell Ringers The national database of bell towers, giving technical details of the ring at St Mary’s.
• Sussex County Association of Change Ringers (SCACR) Regional ringing society with historical notes, tower profiles, and restoration summaries.
• “The Church Bells of Sussex” – A.J. Ebsworth (classic reference) A detailed survey of Sussex bells, founders, and inscriptions.

Local History Publications

• Pulborough Parish historical booklets
• Heritage leaflets produced for St Mary’s
• Pulborough Society archives

Archival & Heritage Repositories

• West Sussex Record Office (WSRO) Holds parish records, faculty papers, and historic correspondence relating to church fabric.
• The National Archives (TNA) Contains documents from bellfounders, ecclesiastical authorities, and Victorian restoration projects.
• British Newspaper Archive Reports on bell installations, Jubilee additions, and restoration fundraising.

Technical & Craft Sources

• Bellfounders’ Catalogues and Ledgers
• Eldridge family (Chertsey)
• Purdue family (Somerset)
• John Warner & Sons (London)
• John Taylor & Co (Loughborough)
• Churchcare / CCC Guidelines on Bell Restoration Context for how the 2005 restoration would have been conducted.

Local Provenance Sources

Historic School Bells (Nutbourne, North Heath, Pulborough) Provenance confirmed through:

• school logbooks,
• building plans,
• oral histories,
• turret architecture still visible on former school buildings.

Online Databases & Digital Sources

• Dove’s Guide (online) – technical bell data
• SCACR Tower Pages – local ringing history
• A Church Near You – basic church profile
• British Listed Buildings – architectural context for St Mary’s
• Historic England – listing description for the church