© 2023 Buckland Newton Community Website Committee Last updated 28th March 2023 11:15 Website design and update by Jeremy Collins
Bellringers
The Buckland Newton Bellringing
Team (together with those at
Mappowder) are affiliated to the
Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers.
We welcome new recruits to the
Bellringing Team - please contact the
Tower Captain, Nick Baker on 01300
345386.
Restoration of the Church Bells
Restoration of the bells and mechanisms, which has taken in total
some six years, is now complete; they are back in situ, ringing and
sound truly amazing.
Looking on from the side lines, the restoration of the Buckland Newton
church bells has taken hours and hours of mental and physical effort in
some shape or form. After endless paperwork, submissions and
discussions — and finally permissions, the bells were taken down from the
church tower in January 2012, handed over to the bell hangers (Nicholson
Engineering) in Bridport, retuned, refurbished and finally returned to the
bell ringing chamber for everyone to enjoy.
There were of course the unexpected hiccups on the way, like the extra
requirement for a sound proofed ceiling and essential welding of the third
bell in Newmarket, so that it did not break in use. All the problems were
overcome, thanks to the willing and hardworking team who wanted to
ensure that the project would succeed to benefit the village with a
harmonious new sound. This now means that the bells will be up to scratch
and available for use by our local and visiting ringing teams until the next
major overhaul in 2100!
The local team (Nick, Chris, Andy, John, and Jane accompanied by Sue
who was visiting the village) gave the bells a test ring on Saturday 9th
June. Jonathan rededicated the bells after the morning service the next
day and the congregation listened to the peal outside in the inclement June
weather.
A special thank you to everyone who has voluntarily given their time,
energy, expertise and patience — it would not have happened without you.
Those who enjoy the bells are indebted to you and it is certain that Grace
Hunt would have taken great pride in the outcome, being such a dedicated
bell ringer. Thank you also to the local team who ring regularly — happy
ringing and may you encourage lots of new enthusiasts!
It may be of interest therefore to know who actually rings the bells.
The leading light is Nick Baker, the Tower Captain. Nick has been ringing
for 20 years, since he was 11. Bridget, his mother, introduced him to the
team and he has enjoyed bell ringing ever since. He is currently Assistant
Ringing Master of the Dorset County Association of Bellringers, a
committee member of Bradpole Ringing Centre and Steeple Keeper of
Sherborne Abbey. Bradpole is one of the centres specialising in teaching,
including the use of a simulator, to introduce new ringers and improve the
standards of teams across the county. Nick is one of a very select group of
experienced ringers in Dorset who practice the 'surprise' methods of
change ringing, the most advanced. If you didn't know it is "a treble bob
method in which an internal place is made every time the treble is going
from one dodge to another." Nick rings generally between 4 and 6 days
every week. He thoroughly enjoys the very sociable company and says the
friends he makes is what it is all about. He is also very keen on training
and helping new team members. He never has been a churchgoer and
cheerfully admits he would be just as happy if the bell tower was in the
middle of a field!
Practices are held on Wednesdays at Buckland Newton church, except for
the first Wednesday of the month at Map-powder. If you have been a bell
ringer and are interested in joining us or would like to learn, please give
Nick a ring on 01300 345386 to arrange to join us on a Wednesday
evening. You would be very welcome.
For some more background on the bellringing team, click here.
Buckland Newton Community Website
in the heart of rural Dorset