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Rung by the Coningsby ringers & friends for the Eastern Branch quarter peal week.

First quarter on 8 bells: 1, and first quarter on 8 bells not drumming behind: 5.

Rung on Tennyson's 'Wild Bells' former Eastern Branch bells!

Rung to mark the 125th anniversary of the death of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate, who died on 6th October 1892. Tennyson was born at Somersby in the Lincolnshire Wolds in 1809 and lived at Somersby Rectory until 1837.

These bells are thought to be the ‘Wild Bells’ from Tennyson’s poem ‘Ring Out, Wild Bells’. They originally hung at Hagworthingham just 2 miles south of Somersby and we know that Hagworthingham ringers were the active ringers in this area during the 1800s. They were transferred to Welbourn in 1978 after the tower collapsed at Hagworthingham. If you have rung on the bells at Welbourn their 'wild' tuning is also fitting for them being the 'Wild Bells' which Tennyson heard and inspired him!

It is thought that during his early years of living at Somersby he was inspired by the sound of Church bells which he could hear from his home in Somersby, being Hagworthingham 2 miles away (became 8 in 1824), Harrington 1.5 miles away (3 bells cast in 1814), Langton-by-Partney 3 miles away (6 bells cast in 1825) & South Ormsby 2.5 miles away (became 5 in 1757), which resulted in him writing ‘Ring Out Wild Bells’ which is part of ‘In Memoriam’ which he started in 1834 whilst at Somersby.

This completes the Tennyson Quarters rung on bells that Tennyson grew up with and would have heard regularly. The only tower not visited today was South Ormsby as the five bells there have been unringable for well over 70 years.

Tennyson Quarter Peal Tour No. 3 of 3.

Ring Out, Wild Bells - by Alfred, Lord Tennyson: