Copyright Kent Past 2010
Kent Past
The History of Kent
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History of Ringwould
Ringwould comes from the Old English ‘ingas’ meaning the ‘people of, people called
after’ with the Anglian word ‘wald’ as a ‘forest, high forest-
Ringwould parish church is a Grade: I listed building, dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The Normans built it in the 12th century, with alterations in the 14th century and rebuilding of the tower in 1628. Around 1350, an unknown founder cast and hung a bell in the tower. In 1638, John Wilnar cast four bells to complete five. In 1800, Edward Hasted described St Nicholas’ church as a ‘handsome building, having a tower steeple at the west end, in which hang five bells’. The Victorians carried out a pleasing restoration in the 19th century. In 1957, Mears and Stainbank augmented the bells to six with a tenor.