To hear the Swanage bells - click this link to a sound recording made by Tim Rose.
Tim Rose has also made recordings of most of the towers in Dorset.
A comprehensive collection of bell recordings has been made by Dr John R Ketteringham and his website, Library of Bell Recordings, lists a vast number of towers across the country. So if you get the bellringing bug and want to hear the sound of St Paul’s cathedral, or St Clement Danes in the Strand or a more local tower, such as Wareham - do check out his website. Bill Hibberts’ website (Bell Collection) also has some interesting recordings, including local towers such as, Kingston, Corfe Castle and Church Knowle.
If you like the idea of listening to bellringing on the radio you will have to wake up very early on Sunday mornings! The BBC broadcast Bells on Sunday at 5.43 am or alternatively you can stay up very late as it is repeated very early on Monday mornings, just before 1 am at 0.45 am!! Rather than getting up at the crack of dawn it is much easier to use the BBC’s listen again facility on their website. Each week they broadcast a 2 minute snippet of a different tower - the quality of ringing that is broadcast each week can vary enormously - and I suppose the same could be said of our ringing here in Swanage! (although we do aim for a high standard).
All these above recordings are interesting but if you really want to hear bells being rung.................come along to St Mary’s in Swanage on any Wednesday evening or Sunday morning! Ringers and non-ringers are all most welcome - even if you just want to come for a while, watch and listen to our skilled band of ringers - who knows you may just be tempted to have a go!
