Bell ringing is a tradition art which origins date back to the sixteenth century. The sound of bells ringing out from the towers of church is as much a part of the British identity as cricket and fish 'n' chips.
In becoming a ring, not only will you be helping to keep this historic English pastime alive but you'll also be part of a fun, healthy and social activity which can have a positive effect on your well-being.
At a time when working from home has become the new norm, many people are missing on social interaction with others. In learning to ring you become part of a community made up of people from all walks of life and of all ages. After master the basics of bell handling, you'll discover how ringing is all about working as a team in order to ring beautiful sounding changes.
Many ringers, including many who have rung at Swanton Morley over the year, have praised the positive impact ringing has had on the mental health. Whilst providing a light upper body work out, and not forgetting a slight cardio workout climbing the tower each week, ringing provides an opportunity to give your mind a good workout too. Many ringers have explained how this focus on ringing for that time gave them a break from the stresses of the outside world.
Ringing is one of those things where you never stop learning. With thousands of towers across the country, each with their bells all handling differently to the countless call change sequences and methods to ring, there's always something new to learn or experience.
Beyond all that though and probably most importantly, ringing is just good fun!
