Greetham – Rutland Church Bell Ringing

St Mary the Virgin

Tower Captain: Kerry Nimmons

Please contact the Tower Captain (see below) if you want to learn about bellringing, arrange to have the bells rung, arrange for a ringing team to visit etc

GREETHAM BELLS
For several years prior to 2022 Greetham bells had not been run regularly. A new band of Greetham ringers were recruited in 2023, once we started ringing the inevitable happened a broken stay or two! Ted took a look and discovered the poor state of the bells and frame, urgent action was needed to repair, restore and ultimately make them safe! Fundraising for the removal of the bell frame and restoration of the bells com-menced with a village Ceilidh in January 2024. At this point the target of £50k seemed a long way off. Most of 2024 was spent applying for grants, organising and hosting events and general fundraising. Grants were received from the Rutland Historic Churches Preservation Trust, Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers, The Benefact Trust, Jack Patston Charitable Trust, The War Memorials Trust, The Sharpe Trust, The Helen Jean Cope Charity and Tesco Stronger Starts (Blue Token) and the Church Fabric Fund. We successfully achieved our base fundraising target to refurbish the bells and replace the steel frame within 10 months.
January 2025 saw the bells lowered and the frame dismantled. The weekend prior to the bells being trans-ported to Loughborough they were on view in the church. More than one hundred people visited the church to see the bells before they left for Taylors. On their return a viewing of the newly refurbished bells attracted a similar number.
A new bespoke steel bell frame was manufactured, some of the original cast iron parts were reused. The bells were overhauled and restored to their former glory. No project is without its glitches, on foundry testing the treble bell was found to be flat, the only solution being to retune the set. This bell was added in 1949 to the 1923 peel of five. Woodworm and rot was found in both the clock chamber and belfry floors, these are in the process of being replaced. Construction of the bell frame and re in-stallation of the bells commenced in July.
We held a village celebration on the 12th September to welcome back the bells and to hear them ring in their retuned state. On the 14th September the bells were rededicated by the Bishop of Peterborough, both events were well attended by villagers and Rutland Dignitaries, the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff to name just two . The bell ringers have re-turned to practice on a Friday and ring for Sunday services. There has been much publicity e.g. on local radio and in the local papers as well as on social media. Many villagers have expressed their pleasure at hearing the bells ring out once more. We recently held a recruitment drive for new bell ringers and hope to increase our band. The significance of the bells as our war memorial was por-trayed by one of villagers who wrote and delivered a short account at our village celebration ‘The Story of the Bells’ emphasising that although the men that died as a result of war did not hear the bells we can re-member them every time that we do! A very thought provoking and poignant reminder for everyone.
Obtaining the faculty for the project was onerous, whilst appreciating boxes must be ticked, months of waiting for a decision could have derailed the project, especially as some grants are time limited. Finally, a big thankyou to Kerry, Stephen and Alan for their time in teaching us and of course to all those who readily donated to the cause be they individuals or charities, your generosity enabled us to meet our target so quickly. Preserving the tradition of bell ringing is important as is honouring the legacy of those who gave their lives for their country.
John Courtney, Greetham Bell Ringer