St Peter’s Church Bells

The church bells rang out at St Peter’s Church on Saturday morning. This was the second time that Elstree school has been welcomed into church by the sound of pealing bells, rung by boys from the school.  The boys have church most Saturday mornings during term time and the school church wardens play an important role in the preparation for these services.

The first tenor bell is pre Reformation, having the marks of Wokingham Foundry.  The second has inscribed in black letters ‘Gloria in Excelcis Deo’ W.K. 1585 (William Knight of Reading):  both these bells must have sounded the rejoicing over the defeat of the Armada.   The third bell is a Trafalgar Year bell by Thomas Mears and Son.  The date is 1805, with 1931 added when it was recast by the gift of Geoffrey Palmer, who lived at Woolhampton Court.