In 2000, the ringers were very lucky that Dr Paul Cattermole, Bell Advisor to the Dioceses of Norwich and passionate historian and bell ringer who published work around the history of Norfolk church bells, provided the ringers with a history of the bells of All Saints. In addition to this local historian David Stone wrote a number of articles about the history of Swanton Morley and its church, some of which included the history of the tower.
Sadly the one thing which is missing is any record of the ringers who have rung the bells. We are able to make educated guesses about what was happening at Swanton Morley by what was happening at neighbouring towers.
Over the next few pages you will be able to discover the tower's fascinating history.
Despite ringing on bells which are close to 400 years old, there is very little recorded details about the ringing which took place at All Saints prior to the 1950s when it seems to be that regular ringing came to an end.
Bell ringing was an enormously popular pastime amongst young men during the second half of the sixteenth-century, and into the reign of James I. It can be safely assumed that Swanton Morley was no different. There must have been an enthusiastic band at the tower in the early 1700s as in 1730 the churchwardens at the time commissioned Thomas Newman to cast a new treble bell.
The ring of five would have been popular with local ringers, especially as Dereham and North Elmham were established ringing centres. Ringing at this time was as popular and competitive as football is today. However during the second half of the nineteenth century ringing began to decline in rural villages. Swanton Morley has no records of any ringing taking place at this time. We do know that the tower was struck by lightning 1989 and that it received some damage which required repair. This could have contributed towards the tower falling silent.
On Sunday 24 September 1950 the only pre-restoration peal took place. We know that there was some occasional ringing between this peal and the formation of the new band with old ringers remembering the tower being opened for a tower open day.
Pre-restoration of the bells, the only ever peal rung on the bells took place on Sunday 24 September 1950 lasting 3 hours and 2 minutes.
The only other recorded performance on the bells took place in 1977 to mark the centenary of the Norwich Diocese Association of Ringers.
Ringing was only very occasional towards the end of the twentieth centenary. The ring of five were very unlikely to attract a local team to ring on them due to the fact that the bells were difficult to ring despite the patching up done to the fittings. It is said to that the sound the five produced was unrewarding to listen to. It seemed unlikely that Swanton Morley would have a local band of ringers again.
