New bells will ring out the Christian message for centuries to come, thanks to community support for one of our churches.
St Mary-Le-Ghyll, Barnoldswick has just welcomed two new treble bells to complete a project in begun in 2008 to create a ring of eight and finished in the 10th anniversary year of the Diocese of Leeds.
Sufficient money was raised back then to install a frame large enough to accommodate the extra bells and to buy three new bells, with the intention of buying the final two bells sometime in the future.
The original three bells, dating from 1723 were re-tuned and formed bells 2,3,and 4 of the new ring, a ‘second hand’ treble was purchased and two new bells were cast for the 5 and 6, said project manager Stuart Moore.
“Since then we have been steadily raising the funds needed to complete the ring to eight. This has now been achieved. We hope that this will provide the opportunity for more people to try ringing and increase the number and variety of tunes we can ring,” said Stuart, a keen ringer.
One of the new treble bells has the quirky inscription:
Installed 2023. “Hello bells 4, 5 and 6, Happy Birthday, can we join in?”
Stuart invited people to come and try ringing the new bells: “We are a very welcoming group and believe that having a laugh in supportive company is as important as being a good ringer. Anyone over the age of 10 is welcome (younger children tend to get ‘rung by the bells’ rather than them ringing the bells so we have to have a minimum age) and any/no faith are all equally at home here”.
Rvd Sheena McMain, of the United Benefice of Barnoldswick with Bracewell praised the strong community effort that raised £22,000 to fund this resounding success:
We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome two new bells to make a ring of eight and we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to all those people involved in the project in any way, especially the people of Barnoldswick and surrounds who have fundraised and also to the local bellringers.
“We hope these bells will bring great joy for people and that they will ring out the Christian message for centuries to come.”
A video from Revd Sheena talking about the bells can be seen below.