Practice Night: Wednesdays - 19.45 – 21.30
Also 4th Monday in the month is District 12 Bell practice 7.30 – 9.00p.m.
Secretary: Betty Green Tel. 01342 327554 e-mail meridian35@btinternet.com
Tower Captain: Ian Wiltshire Tel. 01342 311100 e-mail Ian.Wiltshire@bbact12.co.uk
Deputy Tower Captain: David Perkins Tel. 01342 810843
Sunday Ringing: 09.25 – 10.00 Evening ringing by arrangement.
Treble: 4-2-21 Tenor: 28-3-10 12 Bells in ‘D’
The Bishop of Horsham dedicated the 12 bells on 9th November 1985. The twelve bell peal, the first in
Sussex, marked the centenary of the Sussex County Association of Bell Ringers. In actual fact the fine
tower of St. Swithun's contains 13 bells, the sharp second allowing for greater flexibility in ringing.
The original eight bells were installed in 1813 but necessary restoration work in the late 1970’s and
early 1980’s resulted in the opportunity being taken to augment to ten bells. This normally expensive
exercise was made possible by fundraising, covenanting and grants. In 1981 the bells were ordered
from the Royal Eijsbouts Foundry in the Netherlands, with fittings from Eayres and Smith. The local
ringers removed the old bells, frame and grillage and did much of the hard work to enable the
work to be completed at the minimum cost.
There was much celebration in 1985 when the three new front bells were added to augment the peal to
twelve bells. Luckily the tower is big enough to take the extra bells. Again the ringers provided much of the labour for the work to be carried out and their work is a legacy to which we must all be grateful.
We are always looking for new ringers to join our band, normally from the age of 13 upwards. Our Tower Captain will be pleased to talk to you about how to learn to handle a bell.
