Six Bells name.

[1ARMEDBANDIT]

Does anyone know where the name of Six Bells comes from, as in a pub name or village name?

I can`t recall seeing a pub called the Five Bells or Seven Bells, what is the significance with the number six in connection with Bells?

[Buenchico]

As far as I'm aware, the name usually comes from the number of bells in the local church tower. Six seems to be a common number. (Campanologists might be able to offer an explanation for that). But there are 'Five Bells' pubs all over the country, e.g.: http://www.fivebells.net/

There are quite a few 'Four Bells' pubs around as well
(e.g.: http://www.diningpubs.co.uk/pub_details.asp?id =195 )
but perhaps the name is less common since only the inn-keepers in parishes with an unusually large number of bells (in the tower of the parish church) considered it worth proclaiming in the name of their inn.

Higher numbers of bells are likely to be less common, simply because most church towers would be unable to take the weight of all the bells. However, just up the road from me, there's this pub:
http://www.stonhamaspal.co.uk/inf/tenbells/ind ex.htm

Chris

[seadogg]

Quite a few Eight Bells and it would be nice to think that one of them was named by an old salt - eight bells signifying the end of a 4 hour watch at sea and a well earned break.

[ll_billym]

My local is called The Bell, I feel quite inadequate.

[Mr Veritas]

Aww ll_billym
You may only hane ONE bell, but I bet it's bigger than anyone else's? LOL

[ChuckFickens]

I can recommend the five bells in the link Chris posted, it's only a few miles from me and is a very nice pub :)

[chinadog]

The Six Bells pub we go to is so called because the pub stands near what used to be a dock so it was named after ships bells ringing the time.

[Ankou]

spitalfields has the 'ten bells' pub, which was the local haunt for ripper victims mary kelly and annie chapman.

"The name is derived from a long�term competition between Christ Church Spitalfields and St Brides Fleet Street to claim the finest peal of bells. Christ Church was built in 1714, with only one bell. These were added to and the public house's name commemorates the addition of the tenth bell � the church now has twelve bells."