Previous Articles on aspects of Ringing- Heavy Bells

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This is a previous article featured about 'Heavy Bells'.

There are quite a few heavy rings of bells rung in the traditional change-ringing style. The only slight difference may be that a 'strapper' may have a second rope spliced into the tail end, to making ringing round the back end slightly easier. So here's Tail End's guide to the heaviest of the 'heavies'...

Tail End's Guide to Heavy Bells

The Heaviest 12

Liverpool Cathedral has the heaviest ring of bells in the world. The Tenor (called 'Emmanuel') is over 82 cwt! The bells are hung in a radial frame (in a circle) with a Bourdon bell (Great George, weighing 295 cwt) in the middle. The bells are also the highest ring in the world.You have to take two lifts to get to the ringing room! The bells were not heard until 12 years after they were cast, because the war had delayed completion of the tower. The tower in total contains more than 2,000 tons of reinforced concrete and steelwork to support the bells!!!

Other heavy rings of 12: Exeter Cathedral, Devon (72 cwt), St. Paul's Cathedral, London (62 cwt), York Minster (59 cwt).

Listen to a clip of the bells:

The Heaviest 10

Wells Cathedral, Somerset has the heaviest ring of 10 bells, the tenor (called 'Harewell') weighing over 56 cwt. The bells were installed in 1891. The Oxford Diocesan Guild was invited to ring the first peal on the bells, and the conductor was James Washbrook (Famous for composing peals of London). James rang the tenor for the first 3 1/4 hours and then handed it over to his assistant, while he still called the rest of the peal. Four years later he rang it single-handedly to a peal of Kent Treble Bob Royal!

Other heavy rings of 10: Inverary, Scotland (41 cwt), Beverley Minster, Yorkshire (41 cwt), Edinburgh Cathedral, Scotland (41 cwt).

Listen to a clip of the bells:

The Heaviest 8

The heaviest 8 is at Sherborne Abbey, Dorset. The tenor there weighs 46 cwt. Before the current ring of eight were put in in 1858, there was a ring of six, the tenor was claimed to be 52 cwt. Someone also claimed that it took 21 people to ring the bells, with six on the tenor, and two on the treble!!! The tenor to the old six remained, but it was cracked, and has been recast several times since.

Other heavy rings of 8: Adelaide Cathedral, Austrailia (41 cwt), Westbury, Wilts (35 cwt), Congresbury, Avon (34 cwt).

Listen to a clip of the bells:

The Heaviest 6

St. Buryan, Cornwall, has the heaviest ring of 6, the tenor being over 37 cwt.The treble is the third heaviest treble in the world, being over 7 cwt.

Other heavy rings of 6: Queen Camel, Somerset (36 cwt), Brailes, Warks (29 cwt), Hoar Cross, Staffs (28 cwt).

The Heaviest 5

The heaviest ring of 5 bells is at East Pennard, Somerset. These are the heaviest ring of bells rung in the normal change-ringing style. The tenor there is over 24 cwt, whereas the tenor at East Bergholt is over 26 cwt. (East Bergholt are not rung with ropes -see Unusual Towers). The treble at East Pennard is the heaviest in the world, weighing over 11 cwt.

Other heavy rings of 5: Leighton Bromswold, Cambs (21 cwt), Mancetter, Warks (20 cwt), Hickling, Norfolk (20 cwt).

Listen to a clip of the bells:

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This page was last updated on 11/10/02