`Why do the bells need improving?

The bells themselves do not need improving as bells can last for hundreds of years. The Cathedral bells were cast in 1921 and were hung in their current frame in 1960. However, when this work was carried out, it resulted in a very large rope circle in the ringing chamber so the way in which the ropes fall means that it is not easy to see every other ringer from each bell rope.

We want to improve this circle to make the sighting better. We also want to ensure that the bells are no longer oddstruck, in other words they are sounding either slightly earlier or slightly later than they ought to. This makes it difficult for less experienced bell ringers to get their bell to sound at exactly the right moment. Another issue we want to deal with is the fact that the sound of some of the bells dominate over the others when all the bells are ringing making the overall sound unbalanced.

Some of the fittings are also getting worn out. The ropes we pull on to ring the bells run through pulleys which are showing signs of wear. The wheels which the ropes attach to are also showing signs of damage caused by aging.

Finally, we would like to improve the environment in the Ringing Chamber. This room, in the tower below the level of the bells, is where the ringers actually ring the bells from.  The lighting in this room is not very good, and it also has very dated carpet tiles which are in need of replacing.

Isn’t 10 bells enough?

One of our aims is to become a centre for ringing excellence in North Kent and across the Diocese of Rochester. To help further this, we want to augment the number of bells in the tower by adding 2 more bells to create a ring of 12 bells in D major. Being able to ring on 12 bells is regarded as the ultimate aim for all ringers and we would provide the Diocese of Rochester with its first ring of 12 church bells.

We also want to create a lighter octave to practise on.   This will make it easier to train ringers with the bells either sounding as normal or being linked to a ringing simulator for silent practice. To do this, we want to get a third new bell which will enable us to ‘change key’ and ring a lighter set of 8 bells in the key of A major. 

 How much will it cost?

In order to achieve these aims and help to establish Rochester Cathedral as one of the foremost ringing centres in Kent we will need to raise £100000. This will not only improve the way that the current bells ring, but also provide North Kent and the Diocese of Rochester with its first ring of 12 church bells and provide a legacy for teaching and furthering the art of bellringing at Rochester Cathedral.

We do hope you may wish to make a contribution. Every donation, however small, will help towards us to attain our target of £100,000.

You can make a contribution by visiting our Just Giving page:

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rochester-cathedral-bells

If you would like to find out more or have any questions about the project, please contact us.