belfry

A term originally applied to a tower used in medieval warfare, later to a watch-tower (or one from which an alarm bell was rung), and finally to a bell-tower, usually in a church building. It is usually part of the church, the term being even applied to the timber framework on which bells are hung within a steeple; but it is sometimes a separate building, as with the Italian campaniles.

Belfries are found in England at Evesham, Berkeley, Chichester, Beccles, and several places in Cornwall. In Scotland, where the church stands in a glen, the belfry is placed on the hillside above it. Municipal belfries, attached to the town hall are common in continental Europe, as at St Quentin, Douai, and Brussels, but they are also found at Glasgow and Aberdeen. The belfry at Bruges has a carillon of 48 bells.

The framework of a belfry is made to rest either upon stone corbels or upon recesses in the wall, in order to mitigate the effect of the vibration upon the masonry. The higher the bells are hung the more this is felt.