Heavy Metal: The Fellowship of the Ringers

About

We, the bell ringers of Carlisle Cathedral are delighted to have been given the opportunity by the Dean and Chapter to share our hobby, pastime, and passion with both the congregation and visitors to this special place.

An exhibition is planned where we will be telling the story of our new and ancient bells and the rich tradition and art of bell ringing. You will be given an insight into our largely hidden world, the bells standing almost 92 feet (more than 28 metres) above the Cathedral floor, seldom seen but often heard.

Our primary purpose is to ring in service of the ministry of this Cathedral and diocese, but no national or civic event is complete without the accompaniment of church bells. For centuries the ringing of these bells has been an integral part of the fabric of the nation, we hope through this exhibition to be able to show you a little more about the bells and the people who ring them.

Bells have been hung at this place since at least 1292 and we still have one in the tower dating from 1401, using themed and interactive areas within the South Aisle we will give you an insight into the history, design and development and technique of bells and ringing both nationally and within this Cathedral. There is planned an area 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 artifacts, 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. We 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! Children will also be able to colour their own bells and ropes.

To accompany the exhibition various events are planned, these will include Bell Tower tours including demonstrations of bell ringing and visits to the bell chamber where you 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, heavy metal music indeed, it should be quite an experience.

We hope this exhibition will enable you 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.

We hope you will be able to join us and enjoy this exhibition, you will all be very welcome and you will never regret visiting the splendour of our small but mighty Cathedral.