The Bells

The Bells

The Rectory
The Green
Long Melford
Sudbury
Suffolk
CO10 9DT

Telephone

01787- 310845

The original tower of Holy Trinity was destroyed by lightning around 1710. A Georgian brick and plaster replacement was built around 1772, considered rather unappealing and not in keeping with the rest of the building. The present tower was built to commemorate Queen Victoria's diamond Jubilee. It was begun on 10th April 1899 and completed in 1903. The present tower stands 118 feet in height and is constructed of flint and flush work, consisting of dressed stone and flints from Brandon and nearby Acton. the four pinnacles commemorate Queen Victoria, Edward VII, Alexandra and the well respected and much loved once time Rector, the Revd. C J Martyn.

There is an active company of ringers, led by the tower captain, Robert Lant (opposite) who rings for Sunday services, weddings and special events. The tower is served by a spiral staircase that leads onto the roof of the tower. The first floor is the ringing chamber with historical records around the walls of various peals that have been rung over the centuries. There is a door onto the roof of the nave. The second floor is the belfry where the church's eight bells are hung in a large wooden frame.

RECORD OF PEAL RUNG, 26th September 1768

Within this steple was rung complete
A peal of Treble Bob with the music sweet
By the Melford Company as doth appear
And if their names you'd know, why here they are
James Ward the First the Treble he did ring
Samuel Scott the Second he did nicely sway
Young Cotts, the miller, with the Third he did play
Jeremiah Heard the Fourth did sway
The Fifth was rung by John Pearson
William Smith the Sixth being next in turn
John Corder the Seventh and the peal did call
George Cadge the Tenor which completed them all
Within three hours and ten minutes space
It was all over and each bell had run its race
The changes were five thousand and six score
Them being done there was no need for more

The way in which the bells are rung in Long Melford is known as "Change Ringing", in which bells change places in the ringing order according to well defined rules. These rules are classified according to the number of bells involved and the name of the composition - a variation on the basic method.

Number	Diameter in mm	Note	Weight kg	Inscriptions
I	724	F	273	T Lester made me 1744
II	737	E	294	Thomas Mears of London Founder 1833 Rev Edward Cobbold MA Rector 1833 Sir Hyde Parker Bt MP Richard Almack Esq Church Wardens Recast by the Parish of Long Melford in 1924 (Also Taylor's mark as Founders
III	784	D	304	Thomas Mears of London Founder 1833 Rev Edward Cobbold MA Rector 1833 Sir Hyde Parker Bt MP Richard Almack Esq Church Wardens
IV	818	C	356	Thomas Lester made me 1744
V	886	Bb	385	C & G Mears Founders London 1845 Rev Edward Cobbold MA Rector George John Coe Robert Harris Esq Church Wardens
VI	897	A	421	Abraham Oaks Rector Giles Jarmin Joseph Middleditch Church Wardens Thomas Lester of London made us all John Williams of Stonham hung us all Recast by the Parish of long Melford 1924 Also Taylor's mark as Founders
VII	1003	G	595	Thomas Lester of London made 1744 Recast by the Parish of long Melford 1924 Also Taylor's mark as Founders
VIII	1138	F	732	Cast by John Warner and Sons London 1855 Rev William Wallace Rector D Mills H Cooper Church Wardens W Downs hung me