The Bells of Fordington

Picture by Chris Downer

A story goes that the twelve bells of Bindon Abbey were stolen by night, and are now in the churches of Wool, Combe, and Fordington. Tradition has it that 5 of Fordingtons 8 bells were obtained that night.

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The Bells of Glanvilles Wootton

Picture by Chris Downer

Glanvilles Wootton (St. Mary)

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The Bells of Fontmell Magna

Picture by Trish Steel

In the churchyard at Fontmell Magna is a memorial cross commemorating the winning of the Victoria Cross by Lt. Philip Salkeld, son of a rector. who was killed whilst leading the party who blew up the Cashmere Gate, in the siege of Delhi in 1857.

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The Wessex Ridgeway (2)

Picture by Marilyn Peddle

The Wessex Ridgeway Trail stretches 62 miles from Ashmore on the Dorset/Wiltshire Border in the east to Lyme Regis in the west. To mark it’s opening Farm Radio team members created an audio journey in five parts along its length. This is the second part and takes us from the Somerset and Dorset Railway Station at Shillingstone to Dorset Gap.

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The Bells of Fifehead Magdalen

Picture by Trish Steel

Just 3 bells in the tower of 14th century  parish church of St. Mary Magdalene at Fifehead Magdalen

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The Bells of Dorchester

Picture by Oast House Archive

Located in High West Street, Dorchester St Peter’s Church was built in the 12th century but greatly altered in the 19th. The tower contains a fine ring of eight bells cast in 1734 and 1750 The tenor bell (E flat) weighs 2lcwt.

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The Bells of Cranborne

Picture by Chris Downer

When all the eight bells of SS. Mary and Bartholomew at Cranborne  are ringing, it is said that the whole tower actually sways! The largest bell weighs over 1700 pounds!

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The Bells of Corfe Castle

Picture by Nick Mutton

The Church of St. Edward King and Martyr, Corfe Castle has a peal of 6 bells.

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The Bells of Compton Abbas

Picture by Chris Downer

The current church of St. Mary at Compton Abbas is completely Victorian, designed by George Evans of Wimborne, 1866-67. It replaced an older medieval church, whose tower still stands amongst the remains of the old churchyard a mile to the east. Three of the bells were moved here from the old church, One is medieval, named “Maria;” the other two are seventeenth century and were cast by the Salisbury founders John Wallis (Searve God IW 1616) and John Danton (Remember God ID 1624).

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The Bells of Child Okeford

Picture by Ivan Taylor

In 1561 William Kethe was appointed vicar of St. Nicholas, Child Okeford. He remained in the village until his death in 1594. Kethe is best known as the author of the well-known hymn, The Old Hundredth, better known by its first line “All People That on Earth Do Dwell”, which he adapted from Psalm 100.

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