We've put together this page to answer some of the frequently asked questions put to the ringers about learning to ring as well as ringing more generally. We've group the questions by similar themes:
For young ringers, for say over the age of 12 or 13 years old. This is as they are generally taller enough to reach the rope with requiring lots of boxes to stand on as well as strong enough to pull the bell off on their own.
There is no upper age limit to which someone can learn to ring, it might be dependant upon how fit you are. The stairs to the ringing chamber can be challenging especially for those with some health conditions.
There is no expectation that you attend or will attend any of the church services.
There are some occasions where some of the ringers choose to attend. This is generally around Christmas or for the Remembrance Service.
Not particularly. As will be explained when you are shown the bells, the wheel gives you the leverage you need to ring the bell. All our bells are on ball bearings meaning even less strength is required to ring.
Our bells are not particularly heavy when compared to others. The bells on which we generally teach bell handling on is about 304kg (or 48 stone). Our heaviest bell is about 406 kg (64 stone).
No musical knowledge is required to be able to ring. One skills which is useful and one you can learn over time is the ability to hear the bell you are ringing amongst the others and if you have a good sense of rhythm.
It depends on the disability. We would ask you about your disabilities to see what adjustments can be made so that you can ring. For example, deaf and blind people have been taught to ring.
Those who have mobility difficulties may find it too challenging to make the climb to the ringing chamber. If this is the case we will be able to introduce you to the tower captain of a ground floor ring in the benefice which means there are no steps to reach the ringing chamber
We welcome everyone in the tower to join the band where possible. For more detail take a look at our Equality and Diversity Policy.
Yes, those aged 18 and under are more than welcome to come and learn to ring.
The minimum age at which we are able to start teaching a young person is 12 years old. This is because we have found that children under this age can require multiple boxes to reach the rope and they can often find it difficult to pull the bell off and to have the power to keep the bell ringing
We do request that at least one parent or carer attends the practice with children who are under the age of 16. Those 16 or older can attend the practice without an parent or carer present.
We know that sometimes things can crop up meaning one or two of the parents are unable to attend the practice but that the young person still wants to attend. When you complete the registration form, there is an option to name another adult who can attend the practice in your place. We suggest this person is a relative or a close family friend. It's not possible for this to be a member of the band.
There is no obligation for you to learn to ring (although will we always encourage you to have a go to).
Yes, the church and bell ringers take our safeguarding obligations seriously and believe it is the responsibility of everyone who participates in the life of our tower to ensure the safety, welfare and well-being of children, young people and adults.
The Tower Leadership and Handling Instructors have been DBS checked and have received safeguarding training.
Ringers are encouraged to complete the free safeguarding training provided by the Church of England. There is also an annual refresher carried out as part of the Ringers' AGM.
For more details about safeguarding please take a look at our Safeguarding policy
Our Tower Captain, Aaron, has been teaching bell handling for the past 14 years. This has included a number of young ringers.
We have a couple of Handling Instructors who have just passed their handling instructors' course. They are still gaining experience in instructing bell handling. During this time they will be supervised by Tower Captain Aaron.
We have had a couple of autistic young ringers who have been enthusiastic and popular members of the band.
We understand how autism affects how people communicate and interact with the world and the impact this has on communication and social interaction. We are also aware that many autistic people have sensory issues with noise, smells and bright lights as well as the effect unexpected change can have on them.
Our Tower Captain Aaron, in his job as a primary school teach, has worked with a number of autistic children and has taught some at the tower. Being on the spectrum himself he understands the impact it can have.
We would suggest getting in touch and arranging to meet Aaron at the tower early before a practice so that your child could have a look before others arrive. We'll discuss the needs of the young person so we can best support them, the whole time including the young person in the discussion.
As you will see when you meet the rest of the band, that they are a friendly and welcoming group of people.
Everyone learns at different speeds. On average it takes about 10 hours to learn. Some people will learn to be able to ring sooner whilst others require more practice.
One thing we emphasis to everyone at Swanton Morley is it doesn't matter how long it takes you to secure a skill, but that you are confident and able to use is consistently.
There is nothing you need to buy. We will provide you with a folder which contains a guide to learning to ring as well some additional resources to support your learning including a progress tracker so you can see where you are in your journey learning to ring. The folder containing all the resources is included in the donation we request in order to cover the costs of producing them.
In terms of clothing, you need to ensure that the clothing you wear doesn't hinder your ability to ring. The table below provides guidance on choosing the most appropriate clothing to wear.
You progress is continually assessed by your Handling Instructor. They will record this in you Progress Tracker. They will also be constantly providing you feedback whilst you are ringing and after you have rung each time.
There is also an end of level handling assessment which the instructor will conduct. This will assess your handling against a list of criteria in your Progress Tracker.
The learning scheme awards certificates of achievement for each level. There are also certificates when which mark key milestones in your bell ringing journey.
We do ask for a donation to cover the cost of the training material, resources and to cover the Handling Instructors expenses. Some will also go into the bell ringers' account which contributes to the maintenance of the bells and the ringing room.
More details are available on the book a course page
Your Handling Instructor will follow the Scheme of Learning, which a progressive scheme. Each level has different exercises to practice and develop the different skills required to be able to ring.
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Our bells are not particularly heavy when compared to others. The bells on which we generally teach bell handling on is about 304kg (or 48 stone). Our heaviest bell is about 406 kg (64 stone).
Our bells ring heavier than there actually weight but they are very easy going.
It's one of the interesting things about the ringing is bells are all different weights at different towers.
In the ringing chamber the bells are not that loud, in fact they can be rather difficult to hear over the noise of the ropes which squeak. To counteract that we open a door which leads up to the bell chamber so that the bells are louder.
The bells are incredibly loud in the bell chamber which is why access is restricted especially when ringing as the noise could damage your hearing.
We understand that some people can be nervous of heights if they can see how high up they are but are ok if they can't.
Even if you were to look out of the windows, due to the fact that the aisles of the church wrap around the base of the tower there is no sheer drop either side of the tower.
It's true that the tower does move sometime when we are ringing. The tower is supposed to do this else it could fall down!
You wouldn't notice it when you ringing and most people cannot tell when they are sitting out, however if you watch the picture frames on the wall you may occasionally see them sway.
Access to the Ringing Chamber is by a spiral staircase made up on 45 steps.
Some people may find the climb difficult for the following reasons:
We are very lucky at Swanton Morley that there is an infer-red heater in the ringing chamber which warms the people and not the air. Having said this when you first arrive at the tower in the winter it can be cold up there. It's always advisable to bring something warm to put on in between ringing.
In the summer the tower can become particularly warm. Whilst we have doors we can open to get a breeze its advisable to bring a bottle of water along with you.
You may notice that many of the ringers at the tower wearing a sky blue polo top with our logo embroidered on the chest, or a navy hoody with our logo.
The tops are not compulsory, however many of the band choose to wear them as they are proud to be part of our tower.
You are able to order your top from Birds of Dereham.
