belfry, bell tower, either attached to a structure or freestanding. More specifically, it is the section of such a tower where bells hang, and even more particularly the timberwork that supports the bells.
Etymologically, belfries have nothing to do with bells. The word is derived from the Old French berfrei or a similar word used in the Middle Ages to denote a wooden tower employed in besieging fortifications. The word assumed its current use through a popular association of it with “bell.”
The belfrey, called by that name, is a prominent feature of Belgian Gothic architecture, especially in Flanders where a flat countryside heightens the dramatic impact of towers. The Halles (Market Hall) and belfrey at Brugge (late 13th century) is typical. Medieval England’s best example is the church of St. Andrew, Heckington, Lincolnshire, which displays the familiar attached steeple. This belfry has louver windows allowing the bells to be heard clearly while being sheltered from the weather.
A bell cote, or cot, is a bell gable, or turret, a framework for hanging bells when there is no belfry. It may be attached to a roof ridge, as an extension of the gable, or supported by brackets against a wall.