Despite what you may have seen in films or on tv, bell ringing isn't just a case of grabbing a rope and pulling. Its a skill which needs to be learnt, practiced and mastered so that you are able to ring a bell independently in a controlled and safe style which ensure the safety of you and those around you.
Initial training is focused on understanding the mechanics of how bell is rung and how to handle a bell (this means to be able to ring it). This training is completed on either a 1:1 basis or in small groups. During these sessions the bell will be silence so it can be rung without being heard from outside.
Once the new ringer is able to handle their bell safely on their own, they will then practice ringing with bells being rung either side of them. This will allow them to get used to following a bell and having a bell follow them. At this point the ringer will be able to ring with the rest of the band on a practice night. Whilst new ringers are welcome to attend the practice from the outset to meet the other ringers and observe what happens, they will be unlikely to be able to ring until they can ring rounds.
All new ringers are taught using a scheme of learning. This scheme breaks down learning to ring into smaller more manageable steps. Each step builds on the previous allowing you to bit by bit master the skills required to be able to handle a bell. You will be provided with a pack containing everything you need including a Progress Tracker, Record of Achievement and guidance to support you.
You will be guided through the process of learning how to handle and control a church bell by one of our qualified Bell Handling Instructors, all of whom have are members of the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART). To be a member, the Handling Instructors have all completed, been assessed and have passed the ART training course for teaching bell handling.
Historically, new ringers would be trained during a towers usual practice night however this has a number of downsides. Firstly it only gives the ringer short blocks of practice of a few minutes, meaning learning can take many months. Some people also find it nerve-wracking learning in front of others. Instead many towers, including Swanton Morley teach in intensive blocks. These can last between 1-5 hours depending on the preference of the new ringer and the availability of Handling Instructors.
