Bredgar Bell Ringing

Rules for Bredgar bell ringers, dated 1751

Bredgar Church Bell Message

There are six bells at Bredgar, the heaviest (known as the tenor) weighing 9cwt 2qtrs 6lbs and tuned to the key of G. (Weights of bells are still recorded in imperial measurements, but for younger people our tenor weighs 485kg!)

After an extensive fund-raising campaign by the Vicar of the time, Revd. Stanley Evans (seen in the picture below), the existing bells were installed in 1967, replacing the old ring of five. The metal of the old tenor was used to cast two smaller bells, which are the present treble (lightest bell) and number two.

Rev. Stanley Evans helping workmen to move one of the old bells

Rev. Stanley Evans (left) helping to move one of the old bells

The oldest bell (present number five) dates to 1579, with other bells dating to 1620, 1634 and 1692.

A keen local band practises on Wednesday evenings and also ring for Sunday morning services. Close links are maintained with other ringers in the Benefice, particularly those at Frinsted and Wormshill.

 

For more information visit the Kent County Association of Change RingersLogo of the Kent County Association of Change Ringers

 

View of the colourful bell ropes at Bredgar

Bredgar bell ropes

The winning Bredgar band

September 2024 – As a result of gaining second place in the Rochester District Striking competition in April, and the first placed band not qualifying, Bredgar travelled to St. George’s church, Beckenham, to represent the District at the Kent County six-bell methods striking competition. Despite a good deal of nerves, we rang quite well and were very pleased to be placed third out of four bands! After a very pleasant lunch we returned to take part in the call change competition in the afternoon. Five bands took part, and we must have settled our nerves over lunch, as we came out of the tower feeling that we had done a good job. Despite this, we were still surprised when the judges announced the results, and we found ourselves to be in first place!

 

April 2024 – Bredgar hosted the KCACR Rochester District striking competitions, and entered a band in both the Call Change and Method competitions. We were extremely pleased to attain first place in the Call Changes, and second place in the Methods! All the practice has paid off!

We often ring at mid-day on New Year’s Day to celebrate the New Year – this recording was some of the ringing for 2024.

In December of 2022 we had reason to celebrate as one of our ringers reached her 21st birthday. To mark this we rang a half peal on 17th December. Congratulations to Katie, and well done to both her and her sister Annabel who both rang their first half peal – 2,520 changes on the bells taking 1 1/2 hours!

Also in 2022, Bredgar bells were rung to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. A quarter peal was rung on Thursday, 2nd June, and on Sunday 5th June the bells were rung at mid-day to mark both a baptism in church and the start of the village festivities. Later in the day, we rang again between 7:52pm (19:52) and 8:22pm (20:22). This ringing included a sequence known as ‘Queens’ (the odd numbered bells ring in turn, followed by the even bells – i.e. 1,3,5,2,4,6) and a sequence of seventy changes.

In 2022, a quarter peal was rung to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our captain Tim’s first quarter peal, which he rang when he was thirteen! Afterwards, we calculated the total years of ringing for the band – it came to 247 years!!

Half peal to commemorate Rev. Stanley Evans was rung on 21st December, 2019.

From 2014 to 2018 we rang the bells to mark the 100th anniversary of the falling of each of the Bredgar men lost in WWI. The full list is shown here.

On 11th November, 2018, we joined with ringers around the country in celebrating the end of WWI by ringing at 12:30.

St John the Baptists’ day 2018 Quarter Peal

 

 

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