Benhilton (Sutton), London – All Saints

Our final visit on the Prittlewell bell ringers’ outing on 26th August 2019 was to Benhilton (Sutton) in south London.

Up on a hill, and very large, this 8-bell tower was surrounded by greenery. It was nicely decorated inside, with a red-ceilinged north aisle and a blue-ceilinged south aisle. All the stained glass was relatively modern.

All Saints – Benhilton (Sutton) in south London

The spiral staircase up to the ringing room was anticlockwise, and when we got there we found a lovely welcoming message from the resident ringers.

Even as we left at 6.30pm the temperature was still over 30 degrees, it had been a long and hot day, but lovely ringing so we had had a good time 🙂

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Merton, London – St John the Divine

We visited on 26th August 2019, as part of the Prittlewell bell ringers’ annual summer outing. When we left at 5pm the temperature was 32 degrees, it had been very hot all day and we were all feeling the heat.

It wasn’t possible to walk all round the outside of the church so I couldn’t get a shot of the whole exterior.

St John the Divine – Merton, London

There was a lovely display of home produce inside the church so I bought a jar of lemon marmalade, £2 🙂

In the ringing room, all 10 bells had different coloured sallies, and some of them also had pompoms on the rope just below the sally, I have never seen that before.

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South Croydon, Greater London – St Peter

We visited this church on 26th August 2019 as part of the Prittlewell bell ringers’ summer outing. It was very hot.

The church was up on a hill with large and beautiful houses round it – unfortunately the church itself was locked so we didn’t see any of it.

South Croydon – St Peter

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Croydon, Greater London – Croydon Minster, St John the Baptist

We visited this 12-bell tower on 26th August 2019 as part of the Prittlewell bell ringers’ annual summer outing.

Croydon Minster – St John the Baptist

 

Unfortunately the church wasn’t open to the public on this day, so I only managed a hasty shot of the inside. After ringing, a group of us sat outside and had a picnic in the 30+ degree heat!

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Farnborough, Kent – St Giles the Abbot

We visited this 6-bell church on 26th August 2019, as part of the Prittlewell bell ringers’ annual summer outing. The church was tucked away down a little lane surrounded by trees and a country park to one side. Our coach got into a very tight spot in the car park and it took all the driver’s knowledge and ingenuity to get us out again!

St Giles the Abbot, Farnborough in Kent

 

It was a very pretty flint-faced church, and the churchyard was very well kept.

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