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Bell-cot

Small framework and shelter for one or more bells

A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in church architecture but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on brackets projecting from a wall or built on the roof of chapels or churches that have no towers. The bellcote often holds the Sanctus bell that is rung at the consecration of the Eucharist.

A bell-gable is similar, located at the apex of a gable or building end wall.

01Etymology

Bellcote is a compound noun of the words bell and cot or cote. Bell is self-explanatory. The word cot or cote is Old English, from Germanic. It means a shelter of some kind, especially for birds or animals (see dovecote), a shed, or stall.

Examples of bellcotes
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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Bell-cot, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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