St Deinst Church - The Bells
The Bells​​
The tower has a peal of six bells, cast at Gloucester by A. Rydall in 1733 and re-hung by Messrs. Warner, London in 1888. In 1986, the bells were tuned and hung in a new frame. They were installed by A. C. Berry of Malvern.
The bells are rung regularly by a team of ringers before the weekly Sunday services and at practice sessions most Mondays at 7.30 pm. Visiting ringers are welcome to join in the practice sessions but please contact Linda Cinderey beforehand on 01989 770145 to check that we will be there.
The group are keen to recruit new Ringers to their regular Friday evening practice sessions. A team of six people is needed to play the Llangarron bells. Competence in bell ringing can easily be achieved by people of all ages without years of practice or particular music knowledge.
What's bellringing all about?
Bell ringing is a team activity that stimulates the brain and helps keep you fit. It also makes a glorious sound! Many consider ringing to be their contribution to church life, others do it for the pure pleasure and the company it brings.
Ringers come from all walks of life and range in age from ten to those in their eighties.
"When I'm ringing I forget all the tensions and frustrations of the day. Even better: I couldn't wish for a nicer group of friends!"
Could I become a bell ringer?
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If you can ride a bicycle, you can be a bellringer! Ringing is well within the capabilities of most people. The initial learning takes several weeks, after which you can begin to ring with the rest of the band. We practice at Llangarron once a week and ring before the service on Sunday.
"Being able to count is all the maths you'll need and you can become a very good ringer without knowing anything about music."
Why learn to ring?
• Friends around the world
• Lifelong learning experience
• Maintain a traditional skill
• A service to the church
• Team activity
• A great mental workout
• Opportunity to visit amazing places
Come and see
Come along and see what it is all about. To find out more about this rewarding pursuit, call Francesca Cinderey on 01989 770145. You will be made very welcome.
But beware! Once you've got the bug, you'll find it hard to give up!
"I learnt to ring over forty years ago and I still get the same buzz that I did when I first started."
Change Ringing
The origins of change ringing lie in the sixteenth century when church bells began to be fitted with a full wheel. This gave ringers control of their bell, allowing sets of bells (rings) to be rung in continuously changing patterns.
Music is created by altering the order in which the bells sound. This is done in defined sequences of changes called methods. Learning a few simple methods allows ringers to join in with other bands in towers around the world.
"One of the delights of ringing is the endless opportunity to learn new things."
You can find more information on the link below:
The set of thirteen 19th Century handbells were purchased in the late 1940's to help the tower bell ringers practice change ringing. In 2007, they were sent to the Whitechapel Foundry, the leading handbell producer, to be assessed. This revealed that repairs costing nearly £2,000 needed to be carried out to return them to their original order and allow them to be played regularly by the Llangarron Handbell Ringers and enjoyed by the community at large.
The cost of the repairs was sadly deemed prohibitive. However, they are safely stored away until the time that the community decides to resurrect, restore and play them again.
