Familiar sound rings a bell at the Chapel

Rosslyn Chapel’s bells are able to ring again thanks to the introduction of new technology.

The Chapel’s two bells were installed to celebrate the Millennium but, in recent years have not been rung regularly, partly through difficulty in getting access to the bell ropes. New technology has now resolved this and the bells’ hammers have been replaced with electro-magnetic hammers which will now ring ‘on demand’.

Brian Park, of architects PagePark, said: ‘Nine years of involvement with the repair and conservation of Rosslyn Chapel has brought many challenges but has also had its delights – such as the discovery of a purpose built medieval beehive within one of the stone pinnacles. It is wonderful to finish to project back up at high level re-activating the two Whitechapel Foundry bells which will now be able to be rung on a regular basis without the challenges of climbing into the organ loft to pull the ropes – which in themselves have been contributing to water ingress and inappropriate environmental conditions. It seems like the icing on the cake – and given the the highly sculptural nature of the Chapel, perhaps that is exactly what it is! The final touch which will ring out through the generations.’

The bells will be rung in advance of Sunday morning services and on other special occasions.

Posted in Conservation