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BARFORD BELLS
Introduction:
The ringing of church bells is part of the soundscape of England. Over most of the world bells are chimed. Only in England (and to a lesser extent in the rest of the British Isles and some parts of the Commonwealth) are church bells rung in the English way. To explain: bells are chimed when the mouth of the bell faces downwards. English bells are “rung up” into an upside down position each bell resting against a piece of wood known as a “stay”. They are then swung down and up again (the Hand stroke and the Sally stroke). This flexibility of movement allows the bells to be rung not only in “rounds” (1,2,3,4 etc.) but in a large number of patterns called “methods”. At the end of a ringing session the bells are “rung down” so that they are safely at rest with the mouth of each bell facing down.
The history of our Bells:
St. Peter’s has a “ring of six bells”. Originally it had a “ring of three bells” rung from the ground floor of the Tower. Ringing three bells gives little opportunity to vary the pattern of sound. In the early 1990s the decision was taken to install three extra bells and to build a Ringing Gallery to house the Ringers with the added benefit of shortening the length of rope that each ringer has to manage. The project was spearheaded by our then Rector Gordon Benfield an accomplished bell ringer of many years standing. In this he was aided by a large team of people including David Hall (Engineer), David Ellis (who became our first “Tower Captain” in charge of our local band of ringers), Ruth and Peter Border and Pam and Ted Copson (local bell ringers of note).
The existing three bells were cast in the 17th and 18th centuries. Two new bells were commissioned from the John Taylor Foundry at Loughborough and parishioners visited the Foundry in June 1994 to see the bells being cast. The third “new” bell came from the redundant church at Atherstone on Stour and it was cast around 1400. This means that each time the bells are rung we are in touch with 600 years of English History!
 In August 1994 the six bells (either new cast or renovated) arrived from the Foundry for hanging which meant each bell had to be literally drawn up inside the Tower into a position attached to the new metal frame.
At the Harvest Service in October 1994, the Bells were blessed and welcomed into the Church Community.
How the bells contribute to Life in the Village and beyond: They are rung regularly for fifteen minutes or so before Sunday Worship. They have also welcomed in the New Year (including the Millennium) and are rung on request for Weddings and very occasionally for Funerals.
 We are pleased to welcome Visiting ringers including members of the Coventry Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers and the Four Shires Guild.
Sometimes these Ringers ring “Quarter Peals” (45 minutes of continuous ringing) and “Peals” (2 hours plus of continuous ringing). Clearly such feats are carried out by very experienced ringers but the joy of ringing is that it can be undertaken at all levels of competence
 Our “ring of six bells” has now been installed for 26 years and is due some maintenance work which will be undertaken later this year by the John Taylor Foundry with assistance both financial and practical from Bell ringers of the Diocesan Guild.
Mary Sue Stathe
April 2020
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