RINGING THROUGH THE AGES
Church bells are deeply rooted in British history. They have resonated with great moments in the past and been part of the daily lives of so many through the ages in all manner of ways; the call to worship, prayer and feast have all been marked by the ringing of bells. Bells have been tolled in empathy with personal grief and have celebrated events in the secular calendar such as May Day and New Years eve. In the past, the rhythms of life would have reverberated to the sound of the Seedling Bell, the Harvest Bell or the Gleaning Bell to indicate the time to start or finish work.
Today we ring church bells in celebration of weddings, civic and national occasions. In Richmond they have been rung to celebrate the start of the Olympics, the Tour de France and many other occasions. On New Years eve we ring to mourn the passing of the old and welcome in the new. Bells are rung to call the faithful to prayer; at funerals to mourn the dead and celebrate lives well lived. They are rung half muffled on Remembrance Day to recall the sacrifices of many.
The pictures above show three of our historic bells. The oldest on the right is thought to originate from Easby Abbey and was cast around 1500. Three other bells were cast in 1697 and one in 1739. They are beautifully decorated and inscribed.
Our project, supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Sir John Priestman Trust and numerous individual donations will ensure that these historic bells are preserved for posterity to be viewed by all, and also that the ancient and quintessentially English sound of bellringing continues to be heard in Richmond for centuries to come.
Church bells are deeply rooted in British history. They have resonated with great moments in the past and been part of the daily lives of so many through the ages in all manner of ways; the call to worship, prayer and feast have all been marked by the ringing of bells. Bells have been tolled in empathy with personal grief and have celebrated events in the secular calendar such as May Day and New Years eve. In the past, the rhythms of life would have reverberated to the sound of the Seedling Bell, the Harvest Bell or the Gleaning Bell to indicate the time to start or finish work.
Today we ring church bells in celebration of weddings, civic and national occasions. In Richmond they have been rung to celebrate the start of the Olympics, the Tour de France and many other occasions. On New Years eve we ring to mourn the passing of the old and welcome in the new. Bells are rung to call the faithful to prayer; at funerals to mourn the dead and celebrate lives well lived. They are rung half muffled on Remembrance Day to recall the sacrifices of many.
The pictures above show three of our historic bells. The oldest on the right is thought to originate from Easby Abbey and was cast around 1500. Three other bells were cast in 1697 and one in 1739. They are beautifully decorated and inscribed.
Our project, supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Sir John Priestman Trust and numerous individual donations will ensure that these historic bells are preserved for posterity to be viewed by all, and also that the ancient and quintessentially English sound of bellringing continues to be heard in Richmond for centuries to come.
