Flitwick Bell Ringers

invite you to learn the art of bell ringing. Practices are held at Flitwick Parish Church every Friday from 7.45pm until 9.15pm. Adults and children* welcome. Contact Michael Trimm on 01525 720561.

*Please note that some smaller children may not be tall enough or strong enough to ring safely but we encourage children from around the age of 10 years old to come and have a go.

Seven bells hang in our belfry, five of which date from the seventeenth century. Treble - 1957. Ringers meet every Friday evening for practises

The Bells and Bell Ringing

The ring of six bells are hung in a lowside steel and cast iron frame on one level. This frame and the fittings on the back five bells were supplied by A. Bowell of Ipswich in 1909.  The back five bells are hung on r.s.j. headstocks fitted with gudgeon boxes, plain bearings and independent crown stapled clappers. The treble is hung on a cast iron box section headstock fitted with fixed steel gudgeons and ball-bearings and an independent crown stapled clapper.  This was supplied by Mears and Stainbank in 1957. All bells are fitted with plain S type stays and sliders with traditional wheels. The stays on bells 3-6 are as originally supplied in 1909.Bells 2-6 have had their canons removed.  Bell 1 was cast with a flat top.  All bells have a wooden pad between the head of the bell and the headstock. Bells 2-6 have been quarter turned.

The treble has been lathe tuned.  Bell 2 has been scratch tuned on the soundbow.  Bell 3 is untuned except for considerable edging, ie some of the edge of the bell has been removed.  Bell 4 is edged slightly and scratch tuned on the soundbow.  Bell 5 is edged and the tenor is untuned.  [Note: the tenor has a considerable amount of scabbing on the inside of the bell.]

History

Before 1909 the original five bells were a ground floor ring.  In 1909 the bells were raised to their current position and a new frame installed to allow the addition of a sixth bell.  The position of the original frame can be seen in the ringing chamber, the bell frame was let in to the wall and the doorway, now blocked in, marks the entrance to the old bell chamber.  In 1957 the treble was added to make the ring up to six.

To date our records show that seven peals have been rung on the bells:

19 June 1958, 5040 minor (7 methods), 2hrs 43mins

11 August 1984, 5040 minor (4 methods in 7 extents), 2hrs 41mins

2 December 1989, 5040 minor (4 methods), 2hrs 48mins

23rd January 1993, 5040 minor Yessitiz Surprise minor, 2hrs 26mins

22nd March 1997, 5040 minor (7 methods), 2hrs 40mins

17th April 1999, 5040 minor (3 methods), 2hrs 42mins

It is believed that there was a peal on the five prior to augmentation, but no records exist in the church of this peal.