York Minster

Minster Bells to chime for the Queen's 80th Birthday

Published Wednesday 19th April 2006 by Eleanor Course

To celebrate Her Majesty's 80th Birthday the bells of York Minster will be rung to a full peal of Grandsire Cinques, which will take more than four hours to complete successfully. The peal will be rung on Saturday 22nd April starting at 9.30am.

The ringing of full peals on the Minster bells is comparatively rare and is reserved for special occasions. Full peals were rung to celebrate Her Majesty's 60th birthday in 1986, and her Golden Jubilee in 2002.

For the ringers a peal involves intense physical and mental effort. Every bell is swung round in a full circle every two seconds, and all twelve bells ring in a different place in each row. Concentration is intense, with the ringers working out the mathematical permutations to ensure that every one of the 5,080 changes is different. The ringing of a full peal of any bells is tiring, and the Minster's bells are some of the heaviest in the country.

The Minster's bells are arguably the most magnificent ever cast, and bell ringers from all over the country are eager to ring a full peal on them. For this full peal attempt, the Minster team will be joined by ringers from St Paul's Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral, Leeds Parish Church and Towcester Parish Church.

The English art of Change Ringing is a unique way of ringing church bells. It is a special part of our heritage, and the peal at the Minster will be a fitting tribute from the City of York to help celebrate this very special birthday.