The Bells of Salle, Norfolk

The church, which dates from the first part of the 15th century, is an exceptionally complete Perpendicular building. It is huge for the size of the village – several lords of local manors, including the Boleyn family, vied with each other to fund the building of the church. There are many brasses, including to members of the Boleyn family. The church retains some of its medieval stained glass in the east window and in the south transept south window, and there is a 15th-century pulpit. The font has a tall, extravagant Perpendicular style canopy, with a lifting crane sprung from the ringing gallery. The 130-feet tower faced with Barnack stone and flint has been described as "the most perfectly composed of all late medieval Norfolk towers", and as "one of the first of the great East Anglian towers". St Peter and St Paul's church was never collegiate, so it is peculiar that it has twenty-six 15th-century misericords. These are placed 13 on each side of the choir. The tower holds a ring of eight bells. The tenor weighs 18cwt and is tuned to Eb. They were cast between 1330 and 1912 and due to the very long ropes, which are guided, the bells are very difficult to ring and strike. Not to mention that because they are so far away when you are ringing on the gallery, you can hardly hear them over the noise produced by the rope guides! Apologies for the striking in some of the clips. I thought it was best to leave the 'less than perfect'' ringing in, as it shows the differing ways the bells 'go' from time to time!