These earrings are made out of metal
from the old bells of St John's Church.

The bell-shaped jewellery
was given to Annie Jane Hammond,
the wife of one of the churchwardens.

The earrings commemorate
the destruction of the Parish Church
by fire in 1867.

This description of the fire
is read by an actor.

"The fire completely illuminated
the whole town,
and it was a curious sight to see
the emitted sparks
intermingled with the flakes of snow
floating in millions and millions
over the snow covered house tops,
and the heads of a curious,
anxious and weather-beaten
crowd of spectators.

At twenty four minutes to twelve o'clock
the hands of the huge clock stopped.
The tower contained a ring
of eight bells,
one of which fell with a heavy thud
to the basement of the tower.
The other seven
are believed to be melted."

There has been a church
on the site of St John's
for over 1000 years.
In the 1850s around 1000 people
worshipped there each Sunday.

One freezing night
in the winter of 1867
the church burnt down..
Some people wondered
if the volunteer fire brigade
had started the fire
so they could be paid
for putting it out.

Within three years,
St Johns had been rebuilt
in its original style.

To find out more about the fire at
Parish Church, you can visit the
Research Room.

The Research Room is on the
lower ground floor of the Clocktower,
It is open Tuesday-Saturday
10:30am-5pm.