THE BREADSALL CHURCH HERITAGE TRUST - BELL PROJECT

Ringing for the Future - Remembering the Past

Can you help us to raise £70,000?

The beautiful Church of All Saints’ Breadsall provides a striking landmark, standing with its magnificent spire on the outskirts of Derby city. There has been a church on the site since Saxon times and the present structure was virtually razed to the ground following a suspected arson attack by a member of the Suffragette Movement in 1914. The spire survived and the Church was rebuilt and reopened in 1916 despite the outbreak of the First World War. The five bells were recast with their original inscriptions and a sixth added in memory of Captain WKS Haslam, son of Sir Alfred Seale Haslam of Breadsall Priory, who was killed in action. In 1973 the bells were augmented to eight with the two new treble bells being donated by four local families in memory of loved ones.

The death of HM Queen Elizabeth II in her Platinum Jubilee Year was the catalyst that inspired the present band of ringers to consider ways to commemorate those seventy years of duty and service and the idea of creating a ‘royal’ ring was born. Hours of discussions later we have refined our ideas and defined our aims.

The Project Team is working to ensure the Breadsall Bells will be fit for purpose for the next generation of ringers. Their aims are:

• to refurbish the existing ring of 8 bells and their fittings
• to add two new trebles to provide a ring of 10, the improved ring of 8 and a new light ring of 6 (to facilitate teaching of younger ringers)
• to install sound control to enable more training sessions for new and improving ringers
• to install a dumb bell and simulator to facilitate teaching
• to improve the ringing room to more modern standards
• to encourage visitors from Derbyshire and further afield
• to promote the future of bell ringing
• to encourage involvement of diverse groups from all walks of life
• to continue to provide the Church and the village of Breadsall with bellringing services
• to chronicle the history and heritage of the bells and bellringers in Breadsall

The Project has the support of our Incumbent, the PCC and The Friends of Breadsall Church and has been welcomed by the people of Breadsall Village. The Derby Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers has also offered support. Now we are faced with the massive target of £70,000 to bring this plan to fruition. Please give what you can. We hope to keep a permanent record of all donors over £100.