A new online document called ‘Belfry Upkeep’ is now available.
This online document is aimed at those responsible for keeping a bell installation in good order. It aims to describe checks that should be carried out to identify any problems, offers advice on maintenance tasks and when further expert advice or assistance may be required.
Information on equipment and installations used in ringing (including chimes, handbells and mobile belfries):
- Care of Bells and Belfries – 4 short videos. These videos were prepared by Tom Ridgman, Ely Diocesan Bells Adviser, and originally presented by Tom as a single 1 hour session to the Association. We are grateful to them for their permission to reuse this material.
- Identifying technical problems with your bells – typical problems and how they may be solved (if safe to do so)
- Getting advice on tower bells, their condition and maintenance
- Offering advice on bells – a guide for ringers asked about tower bells, their installation and condition
- Tower and bells periodic checks – item list and record sheet for quarterly / annual checks (PDF); download a fully customisable version here (Word)
- Tower and bells detailed survey – item list and record sheet for infrequent surveys (PDF blank form for printing and completion), downloadable fully customisable version (Word)
- Church Tower Access – A Guide for Bell Ringers
- Boxes for ringing – notes on design and construction of boxes that will avoid the need to adjust rope length
- Tying clappers – how to silence a bell for silent practice or maintenance checks
- Sound control in towers – information on acoustics, with examples of sound control installation in towers
- Lighting in and around Church Towers
- Lightning Conductors
- Handbells
- Changes to the Faculty process from April 2020 (corrected version October 2021) – the Church of England amended some details of the Faculty process in 2019 and these took effect in April 2020. Information about these changes was included in The Ringing World (Issue 5682, page 287 and Issue 5684 page 337)
- Short term muffles – this document describes how muffles can be made using materials which may be available at short notice. It is intended to facilitate fully muffled ringing in towers where only one set of muffles is currently available.