Bells herald the Bike Ride Walk & Drive and celebrate 50 years of the Norfolk Churches Trust

For years now, people have taken part in the annual sponsored bike ride. The event has grown to include walking and driving. This year, it even included a classic car rally. But did you hear any church bells ringing during the event?

For the 50^th Anniversary year of the Trust, we wanted to add the sound of bells to the popular September event. The county of Norfolk is covered by two dioceses, and so by two diocesan associations of ringers. There are over 160 towers with ringable bells in Norfolk, but many more of our churches have bells that cannot be rung full-circle for change ringing. We wanted to include as many churches as possible.

Three separate groups of ringers travelled around different parts of Norfolk on outings, which covered twenty-six of our change ringing towers. Two other towers took part with their own bands in North Norfolk. There were also two towers that rang for weddings on the 12^th September, and linked their efforts to our event. A quarter peal was also rung for the Trust at yet another tower. This meant that thirty-one towers made a noise for the event, with seventy-three ringers taking part. But there were also a further sixteen churches where bells were chimed, by another fifty-two people. And, as an added bonus, the recorded bells at the Roman Catholic cathedral in Norwich also sounded for the occasion.

It was wonderful to have such a spread of churches across Norfolk taking part, and for such a mix of ringers and non-ringers to get involved. Bells are often the oldest man-made sound that anyone will hear, and to include that sound in this event was a welcome addition. It truly was something people of all ages could be involved with.

If hearing the bells, or having a go at chiming, has inspired you to learn the art of bellringing (it is a different technique to chiming), there will almost certainly be an opportunity nearby. You can find details on the websites for the Norwich Diocesan Association of Ringers find out more here, and the Mancroft Ringing and Discovery Centre follow the link to their website.