The Suffolk Guild of Ringers for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich
Cathedral Church of St James & St Edmund
The Suffolk Guild of Ringers serves most of the county of Suffolk. However, there are a few towers in the extreme north-east of the county that belong to the Norwich Diocesan Association.
The Suffolk Guild of Ringers was founded in 1923 to look after bellringing in the new Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich and Charles Sedgley was its first Ringing Master. It now has over 600 members. There are 258 churches with 4 or more bells hung for change ringing, 178 of which are ringable.
Suffolk has the oldest ring of 8 bells in the world (Horham, 1672) and the heaviest ring of 5 in the world (East Bergholt, 26cwt). East Bergholt bells have another claim to fame in that it requires a rather special technique to ring them. The bells are hung in a frame at ground level and are rung by a handle carved into the headstock of each bell. The heaviest bell in Suffolk hung for change ringing lives at St Mary-Le-Tower in Ipswich and weighs 35 cwt.
The Guild, through the Belfry Advisory Committee, actively supports the maintenance and restoration of bells; giving practical help and advice, and grant aiding major projects for full-circle ringing.
TopIf you would like to learn to ring, please contact:
What's On
in the next month
For full details please see What's On
February
Tuesday 9th
Mid-week Ringing.Ufford & Wickham Market
Saturday 13th - Sunday 21st February
Guild Peal Week.
Saturday 13th
NW District Practice.Bardwell
Saturday 13th
NE District Quarterly Meeting.Aldeburgh & Leiston
Saturday 20th
Guild Management Committee.Stowupland
Saturday 27th
SW District Practice.Polstead
Sunday 28th
Triples from Scratch.Sudbury, St Gregory
March
Thursday 4th
NE District Practice.Blythburgh
Saturday 6th
SE District Meeting.Ipswich, St Lawrence & St Mary‑le‑Tower
Tuesday 9th
Mid-week Ringing.Bures & Wormingford
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