SULLY u3a welcomed Nigel Bosanko, the Tower Captain of Llantrisant Parish Church as the guest speaker on May 14th.
He began his talk with a condensed 5,000 year history of bells, beginning with pottery hand bells found in China through to those rung by monks in the Campania region of Italy in the 4th Century, which gave rise to the word campanology.
By the 7th Century, churches in Britain had bells which were initially rung to warn of invaders. The 11th Century saw towers being built onto churches to house larger bells cast in bronze. The bell tower at Llantrisant dates back to 1490 and it is documented that six new bells were cast in 1718 – and increased to a set of eight in 1926.
Mr Bosanko explained the development in the 17th Century of ‘Full Circle Ringing’ when bells were hung with full wheels in oak frames and were able to swing through 360 degrees. This allowed the speed and order in which the bells were rung to be altered – now known as method ringing.
During WWII, the bells remained silent – only to be rung if Britain was invaded. In 2012, the bells of Llantrisant were silent again, this time due to the poor condition of the bells. 500 years of water penetration had wreaked havoc. In 2022, the masonry of the 7ft thick walls was repaired but what about the bells?
Over a pint in the local pub, members of the community discussed a new project – the re-installation of the bells. Fundraising began immediately and in May 2025, work began to remove the eight bells that were taken away, refurbished and tuned. The tenor, the largest bell, weighed in at 9½ cwt. The restoration of the tower began, which involved putting in steel beams to replace rotted timbers and lifting beams to help if the bells needed to be moved in the future.
Two new bells were commissioned which are lighter and don’t require as much physical strength to ring – so younger members of the community can learn the skill. Finally, St David’s Day weekend this year saw the return of the bells to Llantrisant and the completion of a remarkable restoration project that saw the whole community come together.
SH
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