Harby Bell Restoration Project

29/12/2025

Come and support the village's traditional 'New Year Ring'. The first time on the refurbished bells.

Any Age welcome, just pop in!

26/11/2025

Just a small reminder of our open morning this Saturday from 9:30. There's a Christmas Market happening in the Village Hall from 10-1 so 2 reasons to leave the house...

The Bell Tower will be open 29th November for a couple of hours - all welcome to come and have a look at the work that has been going on in the tower this year.

We will be using this to launch a recruitment drive to teach some new ringers.

All welcome!

18/11/2025

The Bell Tower will be open 29th November for a couple of hours - all welcome to come and have a look at the work that has been going on in the tower this year.

We will be using this to launch a recruitment drive to teach some new ringers.

All welcome!

09/11/2025

A short extract of our ringing this morning. Thanks to all who rang.

08/11/2025

Looking forward to ringing half muffled on the refurbished bells for the first time tomorrow morning.

A leather pad is strapped to one side of the clapper to make an 'echo' sound on one side of the bell, and this is reserved for Remembrance Sunday, and other mournful occasions.

We are ringing for the service/parade in the morning, from around 10:20. Listen out - it'll sound a little different to usual.

Photo taken from "Big Wilfs Bell Muffles".

17/09/2025

We are pleased to upload the first ringing on the refurbished peal of 6 bells.

They sound very good, and handle smoothly. A great improvement on before.

Thank you to everyone that has helped with the installation, and came to test the bells today, and we look forward to recommending practices shortly.

We would like to reiterate our thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their generous support for the project, as well as the Leicester Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers. Thanks also to the Keltek Trust for sourcing an excellent treble bell for our peal.

Work continues on the training bells and this hopes to be finished next week.

16/09/2025

The bells will be having their first ring together tomorrow, at approx. 2pm.

Technology permitting, we will try to live stream the performance, but failing that it will be recorded.

09/09/2025

People may have been hearing single bells being rung today.

The bell hanger is testing the swing of each bell, and making sure the clappers work as intended. It is now possible to fine tune each bell so they strike exactly when expected.

Here is a video of the new "Elizabeth" bell being sounded in Harby for the first time.

05/09/2025

End of week one, and in the space of under 24 hours, all 6 bells have moved from the centre aisle, to up the tower.

Thanks to all the volunteers this week, able to help keep things moving.

Also, a great thank you to everyone who celebrated last night with the return of the bells. 65 people came to see the bells, and mingle.

If was also good to see Harby School spend their assembly this week at the church, and they also got to see the bells and learn a bit of their history.

A few photos of this week's events are attached.

04/09/2025

Today's the day!

6 months after leaving, the bells are returning to the village.

The lorry arrives around 9am, and will be processed through the village by Rev Paul Towns.

Once unloaded they will sit on the floor of the church for tonight's celebratory service (7.30).

Then they will start to be raised into the tower the following day.

All welcome, and please share any photos you take, either on this post, or via email [email protected]

Thanks to everyone who has made this project possible, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Leicester Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers, The Framland Society, and donations from the local community.

Thanks to John Taylor & Co. for their support and work in the project, and we look forward to hearing them sound over the village for years to come.

28/08/2025

Not long to go now until the bells return to the church.
Come and celebrate this event with a short service, and gathering afterwards - Next Thursday 7:30pm.

14/08/2025

Progress of our bells. They are the ones in the first picture. Not long until they are being returned!