Parish church a-peals for help to replace bells
THE Parish Church of St Chad’s is to replace its current ring of eight bells with a ring of 10 bells.
The bells of the church have rung over the town for centuries.
If you listen on a Sunday morning at around 11am, you may be able to hear them even if you live quite a distance from the church, on Sparrow Hill.
They have been rung both in joy and in sorrow. To ring out the old year and ring in the new.
They are also rung for national and civic events. They were rung fully muffled for the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year and in celebration for the coronation of King Charles III this year.
The bells are rung open in celebration when couples get married and muffled in sadness for funerals and on Remembrance Sunday.
They are rung every Sunday morning as part of the church service.
There have been bells at
Rochdale’s Parish Church since the tower was first built in the 1500s.
At that time, there were ‘Fyve Grete Bells’. These bells were replaced in 1752 by a ring of six bells cast by Abel Rudhall, of Gloucester. Two additional bells were added in 1787 and the tenor bell was recast in 1812 to form the current peal of bells.
The bells at St Chad’s are rung full circle. This method of ringing bells in England has been around since the 1500s and is very different from the ringing of bells in other parts of the world, and is part of our heritage.
Sadly, time has taken its toll on the current bells, their fittings and the bell frame, which now need replacing. Bell-hanging firms estimate that the lifespan of the existing bell frame is three to five years.
If nothing is done, the bells at St Chad’s will fall silent after 500 years of ringing out over the town.
A spokesman said: “We are very lucky as a ring of eight bells has been donated to St Chad’s. These bells previously rang out over Oldham at St Mark’s Parish Church, in Glodwick. They were cast by Mears and Stainbank at the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1937. St Mark’s has now closed, and the Manchester Diocese has donated the bells to St Chad’s here in Rochdale.
“Two new bells will be added to this ring of eight to augment them to 10. The cost of these new bells was bequeathed to Rochdale
Parish Church by John P Partington. John was Tower Captain at St Luke’s Heywood and restored the bells there back in the 1970s. He was a well-known and respected ringer not only in Rochdale but throughout the country, and was a great supporter of ringing at St Chad’s, in Rochdale.
“It had long been John’s wish that Rochdale should have a ring of 10 bells. Sadly, this did not happen in his lifetime, but we can now make it happen now.
“These new bells will be much easier to ring than the current ring of eight bells.
“The six lighter bells will be ideal for training future ringers, especially younger ones, to ensure ringing at Rochdale continues.
“The old bells have been bought by the Keltek Trust, a charity that finds homes for redundant and surplus bells.
“We have been planning this project for many years and we are now very excited that the scheme is now going ahead.
“Work is due to begin in the first week in December, when the old bells will be removed from the tower.
“Sadly, this means there will be no Christmas bells ringing out this Christmas, but the new bells will be installed and ringing out again over the town next summer.
“Funds have been raised for the project through grants and donations, but we still have some money to raise, so please consider donating to the Rochdale Parish Church Bell Appeal.
“Donations of any amount will be greatly appreciated.
“If everyone in Rochdale donated just £1, we would reach our target in no time.
“All donations will be used to ensure that bells continue to ring over Rochdale for centuries to come.
“If you would like to know more about the project, please contact the tower captain, Debra Holmes, or the project manager, Andrew Webster by emailing rochdalebells@ gmail.com.”
●●THE fittings for the bells need replacing, so donors are sought to sponsor a new rope, clapper, wheel or headstock as follows:
●●ROPES – £100 each
●●CLAPPERS – £250 each
●●WHEELS – £500 each
●●HEADSTOCKS – £750 each. Alternatively, £1,600 would make one bell ring, ut any amount small or large will be most welcome to ensure the bells continue to ring over Rochdale for centuries to come.
●●DONATIONS can be made by:
●●CHEQUE payable to Rochdale Parish Church, with have Bell Appeal on the reverse
●●ONLINE – Account name: Rochdale Parish Church
●●SORT CODE: 05-07-22
●●ACCOUNT no: 24990011
●●PAYMENT reference: Bell Project