Bell Ringing - a centuries-old tradition
A full circle bell with clapper half-muffled. A leather muffle is put over one side only of the clapper ball. This gives a loud strike, then a muffled strike alternately. The bell is shown inverted in the "rest position". Half-muffles are usually used for funerals and occasions of remembrance or mourning. Photo by: Dougsim
Have you ever thought about trying your hand at bell ringing? To this day, the ringing of church bells remains vitally important and much appreciated. It is a reminder of the church’s presence in the community and the sound of their peal on Sunday mornings instantly lets hundreds of local people in the surrounding area know that a service is about to start. It’s a centuries-old method of communication far more effective than any email or text message! We are lucky in Overton that we have a dedicated group of bell ringers for whom this is a rewarding and satisfying hobby. But they would warmly welcome newcomers to join them. If you are interested in having a go, get in touch with our Tower Captain Clare Morris and she’ll be happy to help get you started. You can contact Clare by email at overtonbellringers@outlook.com or via the Contact page on this website.
In the article below, Clare gives an introduction to bell ringing and how it works at St Mary’s Church:
What is Bell Ringing?
By Clare Morris, Tower Captain
For centuries church bells have sounded, calling people to worship, in celebration of special occasions, in remembrance and to mark special events.
In the very early days, the bells were ‘chimed’ to make a sound, but the ringers had little control over the order in which the bells sounded and therefore the ‘music’ they played.
The origins of what we call change ringing lie in the sixteenth century when church bells began to be hung with a full wheel enabling the bell to swing in a full circle and back again. This gave ringers control of their bell, which allowed sets of bells (rings) to be rung in a continuously changing pattern. Music is created by moving bells up and down the ringing order to a defined sequence known as a method.
The bells are tuned to a normal (diatonic) scale, and it is usual to start with ringing down the scale, a sequence which ringers call ‘rounds’.
The order in which the bells sound is then altered to give different sequences called ‘rows’ or ‘changes’.
Changes may be called out individually by the conductor, and this style is known as call-change ringing. Alternatively, the changes may be made to a pre-set pattern or ‘method’, and each ringer must learn that method in order to know when his or her particular bell must sound in each row. This style is known as method ringing.
A peal is the special name given to a specific type of performance of change ringing which meets certain exacting conditions for duration, complexity and quality.
Peals can take around three hours to ring and are published in The Ringing World. The only peal to have been recorded as being rung here in Overton was in 1976.
In addition to ordinary peals, ringers often ring quarter-peals, which are a quarter of the length of a full peal, making them easier to ring as most quarter-peals take around 45 minutes to complete.
Before any ringing can take place, the bells have to be ‘raised’, a process where a band of ringers increases the swing of tower bells from mouth down to mouth upwards while keeping them ringing in rounds.
At the end of ringing the opposite is done, a process of ‘lowering’ the bells, where the swing of the bells is gradually reduced until they are at rest mouth downwards, again keeping the bells ringing in rounds throughout.
How much do the bells weigh?
* hundredweight - quarters - pounds
Key dates:
St Mary’s Church dates from about 1450 and replaces an ancient Saxon church.
In 1615 three bells were installed in the tower and the tenor bell (the largest) is inscribed ‘1615 Gloria Deo in Excelsis’ (Latin for ‘Glory to God in the highest’). In 1826 three more bells were added to make a ring of six and two of the 1615 bells were replaced.
In 1912, the bells were removed for restoration with the treble bell (the smallest) being recast and the Ellacombe installed (invented in approximately 1821 by the Revd Henry Thomas Ellacombe) which enables one person to chime the bells.
In 1981 the bells were overhauled with roller bearings and new bell ropes fitted.
The six bells sit in a wooden frame built in 1826 by James Jacques - a member of a well-known bell hanging family.
Joining the synthetic upper with the hemp tail end.
New ropes
In October 2021 the Friends of St Mary’s supported the purchase of a new set of bell ropes. The previous new set was installed in 1999 and were becoming very worn. They were also affected badly by the weather, shrinking in high moisture and lengthening in warm, dry weather.
The new ropes were manufactured by Avon Ropes Ltd and have pre-stretched synthetic uppers and traditional hemp rope ends. The new colours of the sallies is red, green and white - the colours of the Welsh flag.
The three colours of the sally - the red, white and green of the Welsh flag - are joined together, ready for finishing off.
Could you become a ringer?
Bell ringing is fun and suitable for young people and adults of all ages – individuals, couples, families or groups; it’s for all faiths and none. You don’t have to be musical, mathematical or strong.
It’s enjoyable and satisfying and a gentle workout with mental stimulation, burning calories, toning muscles and relieving stress. You can make new friends, enjoy social activities and be part of a team and community.
It is an inexpensive hobby, and it boosts skills such as teamwork, leadership, co-ordination, listening and analysing. It is an all-weather, year-round activity which can fit in with your other commitments. Most ringers practise once a week and ring before or after church service on Sunday.
Many different societies have been formed, bringing together people from the same geographies or similar interests – all of them being pretty much an excuse to do more ringing!
In this region, the North Wales Association of Church Bell Ringers www.nwacbr.wales represents church bell ringers across the three regional branches of North East Wales, Gwynedd and West Clwyd and Montgomeryshire.
For the latest bell-ringing News and Events, click here.
The new ropes are fitted and ready for ringing by three of the team, from left: James Glover, Clare Morris and Pauline Goring.
If you’re interested in giving bell ringing a go, email Tower Captain Clare Morris for more information: overtonbellringers@outlook.com. Alternatively, speak to a church member or get in touch via the website using the Contact button below.