S D G R

Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers

Bradpole Ringing Centre

Bradpole Ringing Centre

Bell Ringing for you ...?

At Holy Trinity Church, Bradpole, Bridport, DT6.

The centre has a ground floor ring of eight bells and is fully equipped with a David Bagley Simulator on all eight bells, a video camera/TV playback and a CCTV in the bell chamber to see a working bell. Vestry available for theory teaching. Teaching is to the standard of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers.

David Bagley Simulator - The clappers are tied so no sound is heard outside the tower. Sound comes from the Abel computer program, which can be used to help ringers at any level from learners to the most advanced.

Courses will normally take place on Saturdays from approximately 0930hrs - 1230hrs/1600hrs, but other times can be arranged. The centre can also be hired by responsible bands/persons.

The noisy bit!

Availability?

Wednesdays - Saturdays, daytime or evenings.

Cost?

  • Evening courses : 19:00 - 21:00, £5.00
  • Sat mornings : 09:30 - 13:00, £6.00
  • Day course : 09:30 - 16:00, £10.00

These costs are per student.

For bands hiring the facilities:

  • £25.00 for six-bell practice (Eve or Sat am)
  • £35.00 for eight-bell practice (Eve or Sat am)
  • £50.00 for day 09:30 - 16:00

Tutors/helpers are available if bands require them. Please contact Wendy Carnell for a list of tower availability.

The first 6 months ...

Our new ladder installed by Andrew Nicholson - to enable easier access to the bells.

Our Centre has now been completed, including a new ladder to access the bells, painting and decorating the ringing chamber and a new carpet. We have had various meetings, changed ideas, charges and types of courses held - so the first six months have been a time of trial and error. Nine courses have been held to date with a further five planned before Christmas.

Three complete beginners have been taught in the area using the simulator facilities and we have organised many Plain Bob and Grandsire Doubles courses. We are including ongoing monthly courses for these methods to ensure continuing practice. We have also run some more advanced courses, Grandsire Triples, Kent, Oxford Treble Bob, Stedman and intend to organise more in the new year.

Students have come from our own tower, Toller Porcorum, Whitchurch Canonicorum, Melbury, Beaminster, Fordington, Lyme Regis, Shipton Gorge, Upwey, Thorncombe, Puddletown, Broadwindsor and Yetminster - a good spread over West Dorset and beyond.

Tutors and helpers have also travelled many miles for which we are very grateful. We have identified various booklets to help students and Tutors have produced Student Notes for each course (sent to students prior to the course). We are therefore building up a good library of notes for future use.

Holy Trinity, Bradpole has undergone a period of building work as part of an 'open access' project. One aspect of 'open access' was to create a CCBR Ringing Centre - installing a simulator allowing silent practice and making the facilities, eventually, open to a wider set of ringers in the Bridport area and wider afield.

Now the technical and building works have been completed the Ringing Centre is available for courses and other activities.

The Bradpole ringing center is within the West Dorset Branch of our Guild. For details of current activities for this ringing center please see the Bradpole Courses section.

Bradpole Committee

Contact Details
Paula Biss Centre Co-ordinator, member of DCA, member of Bradpole Tower.
Sue Philp Member of Melbury Ringers/DCA and runs waiting list of students for courses/methods required.
Jo Wenborne Member of Bradford Peverell tower and tutor on various courses.
Wendy Carnell Keeper of the church diary for anyone wanting to book the tower/simulator at a time other than an organised course.
Pauline Holt Member Thorncombe Tower.
Nick Baker Member Sherborne Tower, Buckland Newton Tower Captain, tutor on various courses.
Delie Perry Member Lyme Regis tower, Deputy Ringing Master WDSDGR.
Peter Carnell Tower Captain, Bradpole.