Talk:Addleshaw Tower

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A fact from Addleshaw Tower appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 6 August 2013 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that Addleshaw Tower (pictured) in Chester is the first free-standing bell tower to be built by an English cathedral since the 15th century?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2013/August. The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Addleshaw Tower.

Wikipedia

DYK[edit]

OK! You've told us that this is the first free-standing bell tower to be built by an English Cathedral since the 15th-century!

Now, DYK which cathedral built a free standing bell tower in the 15th-century? Free-standing bell towers at cathedrals are so rare that if you are going to make that statement, then you need to be prepared to acknowledge and name the cathedral that built the last one.

Amandajm (talk) 11:52, 6 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

It turns out the answer is Chichester. Live and learn! Moonraker12 (talk) 12:37, 6 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I've added a footnote to this effect. Apologies for not doing that in the first place. --Peter I. Vardy (talk) 13:29, 6 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, Peter I. Vardy! I thought that I would throw it in as another DYK, just for the fun of it!

Amandajm (talk) 13:52, 6 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Dubious claim[edit]

This article states (twice) that the tower is “the first free-standing bell tower to be built by an English cathedral since the 15th century”; it also appears as a "Did You Know" item today. I’ve tagged this as dubious; I’m stumped to think of any other English cathedral that has a free-standing bell tower, 15th century or otherwise, and of the sources given to support the claim, the two I can read don’t mention it, as far as I can see.
So, where does this claim come from? And what other English cathedrals have free-standing bell towers? Moonraker12 (talk) 11:52, 6 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

You're a typical Wikipedia idiot making up for the fact that in real life you wouldn't get within ten feet of any real research institute. It took me all of the time it took type "free standing bell tower england" in Google Books to find a published reference to this claim (page 44) in Discovering Bells and Bellringing by John Camp. Then it took me another minute to add it to the article. Sheesh you're a dope! Stop playing with the rule book and use your head. 109.151.100.157 (talk) 12:10, 6 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Well, thank you for assuming my good faith on the matter and refraining from making any personal attacks in your zeal to reply to my question on this subject. Much appreciated. Moonraker12 (talk) 12:43, 6 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Of English cathedrals, Salisbury also formerly had a separate campanile, demolished 1790, not clear when it was built. St Edmundsbury Cathedral has its bells in the Norman Tower, originally part of the abbey complex, rather than the church which is now the cathedral. St David's Cathedral (Welsh rather than English of course) similarly has its bells in an ancient gatehouse, rather than in the central tower of the cathedral. Of parish churches, at least Ledbury, East Dereham and Terrington St Clement have detached towers. Towers are marked as such i Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers, but unfortunately it is not one of the criteria on which searches can be performed, so it's not easy to generate a comprehensive list. David Underdown (talk) 13:17, 6 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

It's Chichester we're looking for. St Edmundsbury (parish church cathedral) doesn't count. I'd completely forgotten about the tower at Salisbury. Almost certainly dated from the early 13th century. My presumption would be that they had the bells from Old Sarum and built the tower to house them, while the church itself was under construction. Amandajm (talk) 14:02, 6 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]