Church bells will ring out across Cornwall on Saturday morning to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III. 

Ring for the King will see experienced bellringers joined by new recruits to celebrate the big occasion.

For hundreds of years, church bells have been a quintessential part of the UK’s soundscape, rung out to call communities to worship and mark special occasions including anniversaries and deaths. 

Last year, they were rung for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in June, and muffled as a mark of respect for her the passing in September.

While the number of competent ringers has long been in decline, Ring for the King – organised by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers - has achieved the desired uptick in interest. 

Hayley Young, ringing master at Truro Cathedral and secretary of the Truro Diocesan Guild of Ringers, has been a major force in reinvigorating enthusiasm for ringing across Cornwall. For Ring for the King, she has been training new ringers in St Clement and Kenwyn churches in rounds – ringing the bells in 123456 sequence – and call-change, in which the sequence is changed two bells at a time. 

“Ring for the King has been really good for us in Cornwall,” she said. “We have 750 ringers across the county, which isn’t enough when you consider we have 200 churches, all with at least six bells – so 1,200 minimum – and all wanting to be rung on a Sunday morning.”

The demographic is ageing, and numbers dropped during the pandemic. However, Ring for the King has attracted a younger prospective ringer, and a lot of women. These include Laura Calcraft from Truro, who has been ringing at St Clement and Kenwyn with her 11-year-old daughter, Jenna, since October 2022. 

“It’s been really good fun,” said Laura, who lives near Kenwyn church. “It was quite a workout when we started, using lots of different muscles. We have got used to it now, and can feel where the bell is, even though you can’t see it. We’ve met a lovely bunch of people and have rung bells in other towers, including St Stephen-in-Brannel. 

“Kenwyn is a beautiful church. It has eight bells, and we can hear them being rung from our house, so it’s nice to be involved – and it’s nice for me and Jenna to do something together. Ringing for the King is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, and it will be a nice memory for Jenna to look back on.”  

Bells will be rung at 9.30am on Saturday in both churches, with a handbell ringing demonstration in High Cross before the coronation broadcast. Cathedral ringers will then complete a full peal of 12 bells, a mammoth undertaking of four hours. “It’s a long time to ring, and a long time to listen,” laughs Hayley. “But it will sound fantastic – it’s a very special event for us.” 

For a shorter version, Kenwyn Church will enjoy an hour-long quarter-peal on Sunday at 10.30pm. 

The Ring for the King initiative has also swelled the ranks in St Ewe, near St Austell, where ringers will perform a ring of 48 changes on Saturday. 

Tower captain Charles Francis said: “We have six bells in good working order and had our frame replaced three years ago, but we have rarely rung since because we need at least six ringers. However, since January we’ve had 14 people come to learn on Thursday evenings, and they have grown in confidence.” 

Down west, the pretty church of St Buryan can be seen for miles around, and is a “heavyweight” on the bellringing circuit – quite literally. It reputedly has the heaviest peal of six in the world, thanks largely to its 37cwt tenor bell, which is the heaviest bell in Cornwall. 

Not that this should deter anyone – while a certain level of fitness is preferable, it’s all in the technique. “Our youngest ringer in an 11-year-old boy, and he has rung our number 4 bell, which is 13cwt,” says tower secretary and trainer Miranda Penhaligon. 

Because all ringers bar two are novices, St Buryan will perform its Ring for the King on Friday evening from 7pm, with the help of experienced friends from Gulval and Camborne. 

The team will ring simple rounds to allow even the least experienced ringer to enjoy the “frisson” of taking part. They will also attempt the King’s Sequence, ringing the bells in the order of 135246. 

Their reward: a tot of sloe gin in the tower. “It’s a sociable activity,” said Miranda. “So many people think our bells are rung by a machine, but that’s not the case. We hope our learners will feel privileged and excited to take part in Ring for the King, and that villagers will enjoy hearing it.”