Background

Our current bells hung for full circle ringing were cast by the Allanconi foundry in Italy in 2019 and installed by Matthew Higby & Co in 2020.

Our previous eight bells, which had been augmented from the original 17th century four in 1999, have been repurposed as follows:

• The original four Clibury bells are hung for chiming in the old wooden frame at the top of the tower.
• The 1999 Taylor treble is now hung in the wooden frame as a service bell
• The 1999 Taylor tenor and the two bells which had originally come from Hopton Cangeford church for the 1999 project have been sold to churches in Malta and Piddinghoe, W Sussex.

Scroll down for further details regarding the information above...

You can look back through our News page to follow their story and there are more details in our Archive area too.

Technical information

This information can be viewed on the Dove's Guide website here

Inscriptions on the bells

The inscriptions used for the bells were selected by Ashley Smith and agreed by the ringers of Stoke St Milborough. They follow a theme to commemorate the centenary of Armistice Day by using eight selected lines from Tennyson's poem ‘In Memoriam: Ring out, wild bells’

Treble (Around top band)
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky     
 
Second (Around top band)
Ring out the old, ring in the new   
 
Third (Around top band)
Ring in redress to all mankind   
 
Fourth (Around top band)
Ring in the love of truth and right 
 
Fifth (Around top band)
Ring in the common love of good     
 
Sixth (Around top band)
Ring out the thousand wars of old    
 
Seventh (Around top band)
Ring in the thousand years of peace

Tenor (Around top band)
Ring in the Christ that is to be

   (...and around a second band)
   11th November 1918 - 11th November 2018  


Here is the poem in full:


In Memoriam, [Ring out, wild bells]
Alfred Lord Tennyson - 1809-1892


Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
   The flying cloud, the frosty light:
   The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
   The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
   For those that here we see no more;
   Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
   And ancient forms of party strife;
   Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
   The faithless coldness of the times;
   Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
   The civic slander and the spite;
   Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
   Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
   The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
   Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.


All bells are also to have:
​

•     “St. MILBURGA’S  MMXVIII” (on top band opposite the poem line)
•     An embossed goose (on the main body of the bell)
•     Band(s) of standard ornamentation.
•     Founder's marks, names etc.

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