Towers and Belfries Sub-Committee

• How NOT To Do An Inspection! (Video)
• Common problems with bells (PowerPoint presentation)
• Tying or silencing a bell (Word document)
• Checking ropes (Word document)
• Looking After Bells (Word document)
• CCCBR Belfry Upkeep page (Link)

To find the date of the latest course click the button above.

We provide towers and ringers with self-help information on all aspects of tower and rope maintenance and the potential for minor improvements. We normally aim to hold three or four Guild courses a year at locations across the Diocese (Oxon, Berks & Bucks) and we particularly welcome offers of venues for courses! We also like to assist Branches to run their own local courses if they can provide a venue with all the “domestics” and assemble the students.

Course topics include:

Rope splicing and rope management

• Radley Course 2024
• Click this link for the course PowerPoint presentation

Introduction to towers & belfries, common components and issues

Detailed belfry courses with hands-on experience up the tower (wheels, clappers, pulleys, rope bosses, rope guides, bearings, headstocks etc)

• Checkendon course 2019

• Emergency Lighting 
• Risk Assessment 
• Correcting Odd-struckness 
• Clapper Bush Wear 
• Friendly Rope End Drier 
• ODG Sound Control Booklet
• Link to St Martin’s Guild  Tower Movement Seminar
• The  Stewardship & Management – CCCBR page of the CCCBR website has lots of advice on tower infrastructure, tower operation and major projects.
• The CCCBR Stewardship & Management Workgroup have released Belfry Upkeep, an online document created with the help our Tony Crabtree aimed at the Steeple Keeper – the person responsible for keeping the bells in order. The aims of the document are:
• To help you understand the installation in your tower
• To describe the checks you should carry out to identify any problems
• To advise you on the maintenance tasks that you should be able to carry out, possibly with expert advice or assistance
• Most importantly, to help you recognise the tasks that require specialist knowledge from a Bell Hanger or other expert
• The document can be found at  https://belfryupkeep.cccbr.org.uk
• Video 1 – clip taken on a recent T&B Maintenance Course – Note that the people in the belfry were at a safe distance and in no danger from the swinging bell. All the other bells were down.

Video 2 – problems with bells and bell frames, and parts of the bell, 

Awaiting content about exchanging between ODG, CCCBR and others 14/11/2025

Including maintenance, minor improvements, finding volunteer helpers

• VIDEOS
• Rope splicing video
• PICTURES
• Rope terminology
• Long splice – 1
• Long splice – 2
• Short splice – 1
• Short splice – 2
• BOOKLETS
• Course handout
• Short splice
• COURSES
• Radley Course Report – 2023 February

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