The bell ringers of Carlisle Cathedral are sharing their largely hidden world in a new exhibition telling the story of the bells and the rich tradition and art of bell ringing.
Heavy Metal: The Fellowship of the Ringers – Bell Tower Unveiled at Carlisle Cathedral
Visitors will be given an insight into the world of bellringing which rings in service of the ministry of the cathedral and the diocese.
The bells stand almost 92 feet (more than 28 metres) above the Cathedral floor and are seldom seen but often heard – and for centuries the ringing of these bells has been an integral part of the fabric of the nation, and the Carlisle Bellringers hope that through this exhibition they can let visitors into their world, to know more about the bells and the people who ring them.
Bells have been hung at Carlisle Cathedral since at least 1292 and there is still one bell in the tower dating from 1401. Using themed and interactive areas within the South Aisle, the bell ringers will give visitors an insight into the history, design and development and technique of bells and ringing both nationally and within Carlisle Cathedral.
There is an area planned to reflect the ringing room with its array of colour and the bell chamber (Belfry) showing how the bells are hung and rang. A TV screen will show you the bells ringing, other areas will be dedicated to the history of bell ringing and the bells of Carlisle and the surrounding diocese including the installation of the new millennium bells.
Amongst an array of artefacts, a bell will be mounted and be available to be struck and a timeline will give a visual illustration of how deeply embedded bell ringing is in the history of the country. They will even have a set of mini bells that can be rang at certain times by visitors to demonstrate what happens upstairs on a much larger scale, these may have to be muffled though!
There are crafts activities for children too.
To accompany the exhibition various events are planned, these include Bell Tower tours, demonstrations of bell ringing and visits to the bell chamber where guests will see a total of eighteen bells, thirteen of which are able to be rung. These weigh a total of almost five and a half tonnes and sound louder than a Jumbo jet at take-off!
David Steel, Tower Captain, said
“We hope this exhibition will enable visitors to witness one of the great treasures of our beautiful Cathedral and demonstrate the intrinsic link between the church, society, and bell ringing.
‘We consider it to be incumbent upon us to reflect the values of this Cathedral, being Unity, Truth, and Love.
‘We also hope that we can contribute to the sustainability and development of bell ringing across the many bell towers and churches across Cumbria and the nation as envisaged by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, Ringing 2030 initiative.’
Tickets for the events can be booked here.
