Through Jesus Christ, St Giles Church is here to be a caring, sharing, worshipping community meeting the needs of all people

The eight bells of St Giles sound out on Sundays to call the congregation to worship.  They ring out to celebrate marriages and events of national and local importance.  They ring half-muffled on Remembrance Sunday in solemn respect for those who lost their lives in conflict.  Over the centuries the bells have become part of the life of the town and offer joy and comfort to those who hear them.

The history of the bells

The bells have a chequered history. The earliest bell was installed about 1510 by an itinerant Nottingham founder, followed in 1585 by a larger bell cast by Newcombe, again from Nottingham. Hugh Watts of Leicester provided two lighter bells in 1616 and a fifth was added by Thomas Norris of Stamford in 1662. This later bell was recast in 1868 by Taylors of Loughborough when all five were re-hung in a new timber frame.

Mears & Stainbank of London were employed in 1904 to provide a sixth bell which they hung in a timber frame bolted over the top of the Taylor bell. This arrangement proved to be unsatisfactory and the bell was recast in 1923 when Gillett & Johnston of Croydon were brought in to make the ring up to eight. The bells were re-hung in the same frame in 1958 when they were retuned and new bearings and wheels fitted.

Despite the disparity in age and the number of different founders involved, the bells formed a pleasant and tuneful ring. However, there were continuing problems that needed to be addressed.

The Bell Appeal

The steel framework became severely corroded due to exposure to the weather and needed to be dismantled, de-rusted, painted and re-assembled. The three lighter bells were always difficult to ring, especially for learners. However, there were other long term problems. The three Gillett & Johnston bells were hung in an independent steel frame high above the other five, almost in the base of the spire. In order to reach the ringers down below, their ropes were diverted at steep angles via wooden chutes and pulleys which made them extremely difficult to control.  Experienced ringers had great difficulty in ringing these bells. Progress was inevitably slow for the young people we had coming forward to learn the art.

Instead of spending money to extend the life of an unsatisfactory installation, it was decided to re-hang all eight bells at the same level in one new steel frame.  This work was successfully carried out by Bellhanger Philip Pratt of Hayward Mills and Associates of Nottingham in the summer of 2006.

An appeal was launched to finance this undertaking.  Donations, reclaimed Gift Aid Tax, grants and quizzes all contributed towards the £31,000 needed for the work.  The use of voluntary help for the bellhanger saved £10,000 of this sum.

On Sunday 10th September 2006 a Service of Dedication of the new bellframe was held in the church.  During the service the local band of ringers rang 'rounds.'