Bellringers

BELLS AND BELL-RINGING
If you have attended either the 9.30 am or 6.30 pm service at St Leonard’s you will probably have heard the bells ringing out as you approached the church. We have a fine peal of ten bells here, and an active, sociable band of ringers ring the bells twice on Sundays and after most weddings on Saturdays.

Historical records show that there were some bells in the tower in the 1400s. There is even a reference to an earthquake shaking the bells so much that they rang of their own accord in 1580. The same thing happened in April 2007. The bells were balanced in the ‘up’ position, ready for ringing on the Sunday, and two bells rang themselves ‘down’ as the quake occurred. Fortunately there was no damage to any of the ten bells.
In 1928 the existing eight bells were recast, and they proved excellent bells. But when, in 1991, a small crack was found in the tenor, the heaviest bell, an appeal was launched to raise funds and, in 1992, the tenor was recast and two extra lighter bells were added, hung in a new frame placed above the existing eight. Most of the work was carried out by the ringers themselves.

The bells are heard at their best in the churchyard and, apparently, out at sea. If you listen carefully you can count how many bells are being rung – usually six, eight or all ten. Each bell is attached to a wheel. A ringer pulls a rope, which swings the wheel round in a circle, and then back again, and the ringers change the order in which the bells ring by slightly varying how hard they pull the rope each time. The origins of change ringing lie in the sixteenth century when church bells began to be hung with a full wheel. We do not ring tunes as such, but alter the order of the bells in mathematical patterns - each time the bells are struck is called a ‘change’. Each pattern, or method, has a name – you have probably heard of some, like Grandsire and Stedman.

We are always eager to recruit new ringers to maintain a strong band. If you are keen to find out more and would like to get a better idea of what is involved, please contact the Tower Captain, Nigel Spencer, or the Vice Captain, Brian Butcher, who will arrange for you to visit a Friday night practice.

BELLRINGERS
We have a fine peal of ten bells in the tower - the heaviest bell, the tenor, weighs about a ton - and we have an enthusiastic band of bell ringers.

The bells are rung Sunday morning and evening and you are likely to hear them on summer saturdays as they are also rung following most weddings. Usually an even number of bells is rung - often 6 or 8 - but at the main festivals especially the ringers ensure that enough are present for the whole peal of 10 to ring out.

The ringers practice on Friday evenings. If you are keen to see the bells and to have some of the intricacies of change ringing explained please contact the Tower captain, Nigel Spencer or the secretary, Brian Butcher, who will arrange for you to visit, probably on a practice night. Young and old can ring, and we have a sociable band at St Leonard's. Please get in touch with Nigel or Brian, if you are looking to develop a new skill and have the commitment it will take.