FRoST – The Friends of St Thomas Church Kingswear, which is a non-denominational Charity based in the village, was so successful in its fundraising for a new bell at St Thomas of Canterbury Church to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, that they raised enough money for not one, but a further three bells.

After the Church authorities had given permission for the installation of the new bells and the order has been placed, the three bells were cast at Taylors Bell Foundry in Loughborough.

Since 1859 Taylors has cast more than 25,000 bells, hung in over 100 countries, and includes the largest church bell in Britain, Great Paul, which resides in St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Several Kingswear residents were there for the casting including donors, who described it as “an emotional and spectacular event”.

It was in 2022-2023, supported by the Parochial Church Council and Kingswear Parish Council, that FRoST initiated a fundraising campaign for Kingswear’s Platinum Jubilee and Coronation Legacy Project to buy a new, fourth bell for St Thomas of Canterbury Church.

Village resident Chris Ryan, who coordinated the fundraising with FRoST, explained: “The idea was to replace the original bell that was sold to purchase a clock for the church tower to mark Queen Victoria’s Jubilee.

The clock had to be large enough to be seen from Dartmouth but enough donations and pledges were received to buy and install an additional three bells making a full peal of six bells in this 12th Century Norman Tower which is thought to predate by 200 years any other tower at the mouth of the river Dart.”

Cllr Stephen Pearson, who worked on the project on behalf of Kingswear Parish Council, explained: “This Legacy Project was originally conceived by Cllr Jonathan Hawkins, supported by the whole Parish Council as well as the Parochial Church Council to be a lasting celebration of 70 glorious years of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of King Charles III.”

John Griffin, St Thomas Church Warden, said: “The bell frame in the church tower was made to take six bells but due to the outbreak of war, the last three were never installed and the church has only had three bells ever since.

“Now the three new bells have been cast, later this year a full peal of six bells will at last ring out to celebrate weddings and national events, as well as our own Dartmouth Royal Regatta, as was intended by our predecessors in this village around 100 years ago.”

Jonathan Hawkins, Kingswear Parish Councillor added: “as well as commemorating the Platinum Jubilee of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated on February 6 2022 and the Coronation of HM King Charles III on May 6 2023 the third new bell, ‘The Thomas William Lewis Peace Bell’ was donated by the Lewis family of Kingswear and is dedicated to the memory of Kingswear WW2 evacuee TW Lewis and his wartime parents Harry & Dorothy Battershall.”