John Powell-Powell

The cast iron spire on top of the tower at Quex is very distinctive and can be seen above the surrounding trees. John Newman in his volume 'North East & East Kent' in Pevsner's 'The Buildings of England' series (3rd edition, published by Penguin in 1983) describes it as "a remarkably daring achievement for its date". It is much admired by 'folly fanatics'.

Having rebuilt Quex House, John Powell-Powell built the Waterloo Tower in 1818 - another unique feature of Quex.

The tower at Quex is a special experience for visiting ringers - a secular tower, approached across a cow pasture with no electricity or modern conveniences!

As well as being a fanatical yachtsman and collector of cannon, John Powell Powell was very interested in the English tradition of tower bell ringing and, to this end, added a peal of 12 bells to his new tower, an installation unequalled in Kent at the time.

It was made by local craftsmen and is an extraordinary construction for its day. 

The original twelve bells were cast in 1818/1819 by Thomas Mears of Whitechapel. The tower was built 1819 and the peal was opened officially on August 4th with due ceremony and festivity.

The bells are still rung today by the Quex Park Society of Change Ringers.

They follow a traditional pattern of ringing - the bells being rung in sequences known as 'changes'; a full peal numbers some 5,000 changes and takes up to three and a half hours to complete.

These are only rung on very special occasions but the Quex Society, comprising ringers from all over East Kent, practises twice a month and rings quarter peals, lasting about fifty minutes, on a regular basis.

Telephone 01843 842168

www.quexringers.org