Bell-ringing returns to Sunderland Minster

The bells at Sunderland Minster, which have been silent since before the outbreak of COVID, are now ringing out joyfully once again!

A band of ringers, supported by folk from Newcastle Cathedral, came to ring in the inauguration of the Minster’s new Canon Provost, Canon Clare MacLaren in April – and since then, moves have been afoot to start ringing again on a regular basis.

The new band of ringers has been brought together by Fr Richard Brown, Lead Evangelist at the Sunderland Mission Centre, together with the Durham & Newcastle Association of Bellringers.  Since that first occasion, ringers – including Durham Diocesan Secretary, James Morgan – gathered to ring before the Archdeacon of Sunderland’s Visitation Service on June 17th.  They rang a quarter peal (45 minutes long!) of “Yorkshire Surprise Major”.  It was a joy to hear the bells ringing out across the city once again!

If you’d like to have a go at bell-ringing – or are an experienced ringer looking for a new challenge – the Minster ringers would love to hear from you!  Practice is on the first Monday of every month, and the band will be ringing once a month on a Sunday afternoon to begin with, as well as for weddings and other special occasions.  Contact fr.richard.brown@gmail.com for more details.

By Canon Clare MacLaren