There are two churches with 5 bells which can be rung, one has a ring of 5 which is quiet and the others have one or more bells which are chimed to call the villagers to worship.
Church bells can be heard frequently in Great Britain. Most commonly they are rung to call people to worship on Sundays but you might also hear the bells at other times when the ringers hold their practice session to improve their skills and teach beginners.
Church bells ring throughout the year to mark important occasions in the life of individuals, the church and the nation:
We hear them ring joyfully at weddings.
The sound of bells heralds the special religious services for Easter and Christmas.
Often the first minutes of each New Year are celebrated with bell ringing.
Ringers marked the opening of the London 2012 Olympics and the Diamond and Platinum Jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II.
On a sadder note, church bells can be tolled at funerals and rung half-muffled to create a mournful sound for Remembrance Day or fully muffled as was recently demonstrated following the death of the Queen.
As a ringer I am often asked, ‘Can you ring tunes on church bells?’ The answer is, ‘No, we don’t ring tunes which are recognisable to the layman. We ring methods.’ Some towers do have special apparatus to enable tunes to be rung.
In a method the bells change the order in which they strike each time the rope is pulled without the conductor calling the commands. The methods all have different names such as Grandsire Doubles or Cambridge Surprise Minor, Stedman, St Clements and Lightfoot to name a few.
Peals and quarter peals are rung to mark special occasions or to challenge ringers to ring more complicated methods. A peal usually lasts about three hours,
We have a small number of ringers in the Benefice, but unfortunately not enough to ring all of the bells regularly for service.
In 2023 bell ringers across the nation are being asked to “Ring for the King”. To do this properly in our churches we need to recruit some more ringers.
Would you like to learn to ring and be part of this historic event?
Anyone can become a bell ringer. No special skills are necessary but you will need a good range of movement in your arms and shoulders. Cold Ashby has a ground floor ringing chamber so no need to climb spiral staircases.
It’s not necessary to be a churchgoer but you should be prepared to ring for church services.
Everyone learns to ring at different rates and it has been compared to learning to drive; the younger you start, the quicker you’ll learn. As a rough guide, expect to be ringing unsupervised after about four months depending on how often you practise. Bell ringing is a lifetime learning journey and an addictive, sociable hobby.
If you would like to find out more please contact Christine on 01327 830350 or christinerodhouse@btinternet.com.