Earls Colne Bellringers

Earls Colne Bellringers Anyone is welcome to join us. Come and see what we do!

We're a group who ring at Earls Colne and Greenstead Green; our practice night is Tuesday from 19:30 - 21:00 ( 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays at EC and 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at GG).

Some pictures from Monday's visit by the man from Nicholson's Engineering who took measurements of the belfry so that th...
23/04/2026

Some pictures from Monday's visit by the man from Nicholson's Engineering who took measurements of the belfry so that the lifting frame can be prepared. Three of us ringers had a good look around at some of the markings to be found up there, including some messages from past workers up there...

Article in the 'Halstead Gazette' 23rd April 2026.
23/04/2026

Article in the 'Halstead Gazette' 23rd April 2026.

10/04/2026

A number of people have asked why the bells were ringing on Tuesday afternoon. Those of you who heard the bells on Sunday morning may have noticed that, just over halfway through, we went from 6 bells to 5. This was because the rope on bell number 5 broke mid ring. So, on Tuesday afternoon, the bell first had to be brought back down and made safe before two of the ringers could work on splicing the rope and re-attaching it, enabling us to have our usual practice on Tuesday evening. Hopefully the splice will hold until the bells are taken out in the summer 🙏

WORK TO START IN JULY!I am very pleased to report , that having been awarded a £40,000 pledge to the Bellfund from the E...
25/03/2026

WORK TO START IN JULY!

I am very pleased to report , that having been awarded a £40,000 pledge to the Bellfund from the Essex Association of Church Bell Ringers, and after all our energetic fund-raising, we have enough to commission the restoration of the church bells, the cost of which will be £83343.
The work on the bells will start on 13th July and will last until approximately the second week in October, during which time the bells, including the quarter and hour chimes of the church clock, will be silent.
All eight bells will be dismantled and lowered from the belfry and will be taken by road to Nicholson’s Engineering , bell hangers, of Bridport, Dorset. There they will be tuned and completely refurbished with all new ringing fixtures before being returned and re-hung in the tower.
Local volunteer labour will be assisting the professional bell-hangers in their removal and re-hang and also they will be photographing and videoing the progress of the restoration so we can all see what is happening. It is also hoped to display the bells in the church for a short period so all can see them close up.
We would like to thank everyone who has donated their time, effort, money, support and enthusiasm to have made this all possible over the last 6 years, a particularly good effort considering how Covid threw a spanner in the works!
Be sure to follow the progress of the Restoration here!

25/03/2026

21st March. St Andrew's Bells; Essex Young Ringers.

Better weather seems to have brought better results for the Essex Young Ringers who successfully rang a quarter peal on Saturday.

We welcomed 3 young visitors at our Greenstead Green practice tonight. All the way from Chicago, with family ties to the...
24/02/2026

We welcomed 3 young visitors at our Greenstead Green practice tonight. All the way from Chicago, with family ties to the village and church.
We hope you enjoyed your brief introduction to full circle ringing 🔔 🔔

23/02/2026

BELLFUND STATUS

Some excellent news: our Association, The Essex Association of Churchbell Ringers, has approved a grant of £40,000 towards the cost of the refurbishment of our bells. This means that the funds available today stand at £74,727. The latest cost for the work with us providing volunteer assistance of 2 persons stands at £83,343, including VAT.
Normally VAT would have been reclaimable, but this Government has ended the Listed Place of Worship Grant Scheme at the end of January. It has not yet been announced if any 'new' details of a similar VAT reclaim scheme will be introduced from 1st April 2026. An announcement should be made in Parliament before 31st March!
In the meantime, we are left a little 'in limbo'. We have enough to commission the contract if we are assured that we will not have to pay VAT, or we need to raise another £8,616. The contractors have held their quotation until 11th April.

Defying gravity. The bell ropes at Greenstead Green last week were so wet they did this!
14/02/2026

Defying gravity. The bell ropes at Greenstead Green last week were so wet they did this!

27/01/2026

WHY DON'T YOU JOIN US AND LEARN TO RING?
Bellringing
Change ringing as an art form began during the 16th century when church bells were first fitted with a full wheel and swung until balanced upside down. This allowed the ringer to control the timing of their bell which allowed continuously evolving sequences of bells to be rung, and thus change ringing was born. The music that we ring is based on continuously altering the sequence in which each bell is rung; learning a few of these simple patterns allows you to join in with bell ringers in towers all across the world.
Bell Ringing Practice:
We are always looking for new ringers, either experienced or those who would like to learn. No musical experience required! If you can manage the stairs then you will be able to manage the bells. It is a sociable team musical activity that keeps you fit, stimulates the brain and makes a glorious sound. Ringers range in age from 10 to 80+ and come from all walks of life. We ring the bells not only at St Andrew’s but also at St James’ at Greenstead Green.
We practise Tuesday evenings from 7:30 pm until 9:00pm, alternating between St James’ and St Andrew’s. We are at Greenstead Green on the second and fourth Tuesdays in the month, the remaining Tuesdays (1st;3rd;(5th)) at Earls Colne. The initial weeks will be spent learning how to ring a bell individually and then you'll begin ringing with others before eventually performing with your band. If you would like more information please contact Trevor.
Restoration:
Earls Colne has 8 bells and these are in need of a major overhaul which will cost in the region of £80,000. If we can raise another £32,000, with other promises of support that we have, we will have enough to start the renovations. If you would like to make a donation to help us, please contact us.
Trevor Beadle

29/12/2025

Ringers from the Northern District visit St Andrews on Saturday 27th December to attempt a quarter peal on our bells!

Address

Church Hill
Earls Colne
CO62RG

Telephone

+447766664394

Website

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