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St John the Baptist, Dronfield, Company of Church Bellringers.

Contact: dronbell@aol.com

last update June 2009  

Dronfield Church  from the car park of The Green Dragon. (from a painting by Adrian Lyndon) Note the names on the pub sign and church notice board which are the names of the various founders of the bells in the tower.

The ringers at Dronfield Parish Church ring regularly for church services, weddings and other special occasions.

The practice night is Tuesday, ringing from 7-30 pm to 9-00 pm, but we have a silent practice for half an hour before that for the young ringers who are under training.

Sunday ringing is from 9-00 am to 9-30 am except for the first Sunday in the month when the ringing period is delayed by 15 mins. due to a change to the service time.

We have a good relationship with nearby towers. Ringers from Eckington and Norton join us for practice and for service and wedding ringing. We also join the Norton ringers to ring for services at Norton when their service time follows on from that at Dronfield.

There are 9 bells, of which 8 are used for full circle change ringing.

The bells date from the late 1500's to the 20 th century and are cast by 5 different founders. Despite their varied age and manufacture, they sound well as a peal of bells and handle quite easily.

Details of the bells can be found on this website.

Access to the ringing chamber is via the west tower door and a spiral stairway in the corner of the tower. 56 steps takes the ringer up to the ringing chamber door where a further 4 wooden steps drop down to the floor.

	A drawing of dronfield Church presented to the ringers. It hangs in the ringing chamber.
	A decorated peal board hanging in the ringing chamber

The spacious ringing chamber can accommodate over 20 people and still leave room for eight ringers - just.

Visiting ringers of all abilities are most welcome at all ringing occasions. Non ringers are also welcome to see what goes on and ‘have a go' with the help of one of our experienced ringers.

We have a social life too.

The Tuesday practice itself is a relaxed occasion with plenty of opportunity for discussion, but with the emphasis on getting in plenty of ringing at all levels.

Each year we organise a ringing trip which usually takes the form of a coach tour around the chosen area. We can fill a 53 seater coach with our own ringers, their families, ringing friends from nearby towers and non ringing members of the church.
Details of our recent trips can be found on the Activities pages.

There is also a tower dinner where we invite ringers from other towers.

There is a ‘Ring and Ramble' each year which takes in one or two local towers as part of a six or seven mile walk ending with a pub meal in the evening. Details of the latest ring and ramble can also be found on this website on the Activities pages.

A Long walk usually takes place each year. This is a full day walk, without ringing, of 20 or more miles. Walks completed in past years have included:

Bell Walk Major, (our own devising), 36 miles

The Lyke Wake Walk, 40 miles

Yorkshire three peaks, 25 miles

Chesterfield Canal walk (Cuckoo Way), 46 miles

The Derwent Watershed, 40 miles

Dambusters Challenge, 21 miles

Longshaw Limber, 30 miles

Cloud 7 Circuit, 33 miles

White Peak Rollercoaster, 24 miles

Peakland Heritage, 36 miles

High Peak Way, 28 miles

Fountains Abbey Challenge Walk, 26 miles

Derwent Mills and Hills Challenge walk, 22 miles

ER walk, (our own devising), 27 miles

Sting in the Tail, 28 miles

Beast of Bolsover, 20 miles

Royal Shrovetide Football Challenge Walks, 11 + 19 miles

Details of the Bell Walk Major and the ER walk will be added to this website. Walkers completing the Bell Walk Major can apply for a badge (at moderate cost) and a certificate. A certificate for the ER walk can be supplied.

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