| Background | |
| The
Church of St Magnus the Martyr lies in the City of London at one end of London Bridge. The
original church had a ring of bells which were destroyed with the church in the Great Fire
of London, which started just a few yards away. Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt it in 1676
and then added a tower and spire in 1704. It is the only church in England dedicated to
this Norwegian saint, and has associations with the Worshipful Companies of Fishmongers,
Plumbers and Coopers. Bells were installed in 1714 and were rung regularly from that time until World War II. The bells were removed from the tower in 1940 for safety, but while in the ground, they suffered damage and were eventually scrapped. Therefore the tower has been empty for 65 years. |
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| As part
of a wider programme to extend the ministry of this church, an appeal has now been
launched to restore the sound of bells from this tower across the City. To this end, the
church has joined up with the leading society of bellringers in the City, the Ancient
Society of College Youths, to see through this ambitious plan to install a brand new ring
of twelve bells in the tower in a brand new bell frame. Owing to its position at the junction of London Bridge and Lower Thames St, more people travel through this parish on a daily basis than any other in the City of London. The church is therefore dubbed The Gateway to the City of London. So far from being hidden away, this ring of bells will rank as one of the most visible sets in the City. Completion of this project will also help ensure that the ringing heritage at this church and in the City continues for many generations to come. Read on to see what we intend to do. |
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