The Bell Tower

The crowning glory of St Michael’s, and of the Beccles skyline, is the massive and magnificent bell tower, or campanile. It stands well clear of the church, to the south-east of it, on the highest and firmest ground in the sloping churchyard. The reason for building a tower which is 97ft (30m) high, 40ft (12.2m) wide at its base, and with an estimated total weight of 3,000 tons (2,722kg) in this position, and detached from the church is clearly because, in the words of an ancient document, “it was not safe to build the steepal on the cliff side!”

Several wills bequeathed money towards its construction — the first dated 1515 and the last 1547, which roughly indicated the period during which the tower gradually grew. The arms of the Bumstead, Rede and Bowes families indicate that they were generous benefactors. Unfortunately either the money ran out or the influence of the Reformation prevented the tower from being completed, and we must imagine it with an elaborate embattled stone parapet with corner pinnacles rising maybe another 25 feet (8+ metres)

What is seen however is nevertheless breathtaking! Walls 6 feet (2m) thick at the base constructed of flint rubble are faced internally with many Tudor bricks and externally by Roche Abbey stone. Its corners are strengthened (and its profile enhanced) by sturdy angle-buttresses at the four corners. Interstingly the tower is ascended by means of four newel staircases — one in each corner and in 122 steps in all. The top one in the north-east corner, terminates in a turrett, with an onion shaped cap, rising above roof level. Bold and massive this structure may be, but there is beautiful stonecarving here, in the plinth surrounding the base, the tall niches in the buttresses and, on the westarn side — in the grand entrance arch with its frieze of shields, three fine niches and the four light west window above. The lower north and south windows, having long-lost their original stone mullions and tracery, have received new and simpler wooden ones in recent years.

Pairs of two-light late perpendicular belfry windows enable the ten bells to ring out over Beccles and beyond. The bells were cast in Lester & Peck’s Whitechapel Bellfoundry in 1762; the tenor bell weighs 25cwt (11/4 tons) In the ringing chamber is a Bellringers’ Gotch, (jug), with three handles, made by local potter, Samuel Stringfellow in 1872. It is inscribed, “When I am filled with liquor strong — Each man drink once, and singalong — Drink not too much to cloud your knobs — Lest you forget to make the bobs”

Faced with horrendous projected costs for vital repairs to the tower, the church family had no option but to have it declared pastorally redundant. Much to everybody’s delight, in 1972, it was handed over with great ceremony and celebration into the care of Beccles Town Council for the token sum of one ‘Beccles’ penny! It has since been beautifully restored and conserved under the superintendence of Bernard Fielden.