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The Suffolk Guild of Ringers for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich


Picture of the Cathedral Church of St James, Bury St Edmunds

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.

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If 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

Wednesday 8th

Bacton Monthly Practice.Bacton

Saturday 11th

NE District Quarterly Meeting.Horham & Stradbroke

Basic Conducting.Pakenham

Tuesday 14th

2nd Tuesday Ringing.Hopton & Hinderclay

Saturday 18th

Guild Management Committee.Stowupland

Tuesday 21st

NE District Beyond Plain Bob Minor Practice.Worlingham

Wednesday 22nd

Pettistree Practice.

Saturday 25th

SW District Practice.Stratford St Mary

March

Saturday 3rd

SE District Meeting.Badingham & Dennington

Tuesday 6th

Norman Tower Practice.

Wednesday 7th

NE District 10 Bell Practice.Beccles

NW District 8 Bell Method Practice.Elveden

Saturday 10th

NE District Walking Tour.Norwich

NW District Practice.Elveden

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http://www.suffolkbells.org.uk