Wednesday 21 October 2009

East Bergholt Church & Bellcage



When driving past East Bergholt Parish Church late summer I saw another post opportunity, so once again park the car and out comes the camera.
We see part functional church and part ruins






The building of a new tower at East Bergholt was started about 1525 but not completed due to shortage of funds so nowhere to hang the bells.




The answer was to have a bellcage and so it was erected as a temporary measure in 1531and houses the heaviest five bell peel in the country. 



They are rung on Sunday mornings and on special occasions to this day

To hear the bells being rung, click on the following link.


Then click bellcage
Then click 'see and hear them'
and choose whichever download you wish

Bells ring for joy and eke for sadness
Or in the marriage peel of gladness
Do thou like them
Fitly employ the voice
The scripture precept keep
Rejoice with them that do rejoice
And weep with them that weep
Inscription in St. Mary's Bellcage , 1530

15 comments:

Unknown said...

thanks for taking me with you on your tour of East Bergholt Church and Bellcage! love the photos

becky up the hill said...

Beautiful, what a story. I loved hearing the bells.

Andrea said...

How pretty! The bells sound so beautiful! Like those of a fairy tale or classic movie.

How many times they must have rung throughout the centuries! It's amazing!

Andrea

Elizabethd said...

What a very unusual church, how sad that it was never finished.

duopastorale said...

Interesting post today. Like the bell link :)

Merisi said...

Another wonderful tour of your beautiful country, thank you, Barbara!

Kate said...

I love to hear bells ringing whatever the occasion - lovely!

Linda said...

Are those bells upside down? Interesting how important bells are for the Church.

Anonymous said...

The pictures are beautiful and so are the sounds of the bells. I love the sounds of bells. On Sunday you can hear several bells from the churches in our area.

Willow

Anonymous said...

Hi Barbara, thanks for visiting. The hedge is called Burning Bush in our country, don't know the biological name. I was told it goes by another name in UK. This post was beautiful. The bells take me to another world. Some like royalty or a spiritual experience. Beautiful pictures.
QMM

Deanna said...

Dearest Barabara, I so enjoy visiting your blog and seeing the sights with you. This is one of the things I like about blogging is seeing what others want to share. I'm not sure I will ever make it to England, but through your pictures I get a glimpse of this beautiful place.

Also, the friendships that developed are precious.

Thank you for coming by and commenting on homehaven. I enjoy hearing from you. What you said about the Bible saying that we are born with a spirit of error has hit home with me. This what you have shared is true.

God bless you,
d

Tracy Golightly-Garcia said...

Barbara
Thank-You so much for this wonderful post. I love the bells and it's a sound I could listen to all day!
Look forward to your next post

Best
Tracy :)

Bernideen said...

I heard the bells on Christmas Day...I mean today!

Paula said...

That was awesome! I listened to the bells ring and I was instantly brought back to the Sound of Music during the wedding scene.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post and an amazing structure. Thank you for the bell link...I went to listen. It was interesting to see someone actually swinging the bell, too. The poem is lovely, also, and quaint in the way that only ancient words can be.