Ringing Forums

I'd think the custody of keys is a matter for the churchwardens (assuming this is an anglican church). They are, as far as I know, the statutory keepers of the assets of the church.

Anyone else wanting/needing a key might be given one to keep during their term of office or other need, but only with the congisance of the churchwardens, and with the arrangement properly noted.

[That's how it works for me: keys for song room, choir library, organ + organ chamber, other instruments, church doors, etc., until such time as I might relinquish my (paid) sojourn. I have to account for the whereabouts of the keys concerned, and their safety, at any time the chuchwardens might wish.]

On the wider issue of the security of the towers where we ring and ringers, there is information offered by the CCCBR here:

https://runningatower.cccbr.org.uk/docs/healthsafety/security/

As David says, in law the bells are the church's bells and not the ringers' bells, so if the church authorities want to retain control of the keys, there's nothing in law that the ringers can do about it.

Having said which, if the ringers are expert in bell maintenance matters, to my mind it would be good practice for them to have both access to and effective control of the bell chamber (i.e. one key for the bell chamber, and that held by the ringers so the vicar can't just wander around bells that might be up). But given what the law says, this is something they must negotiate with the incumbent and wardens - they can't demand it.

And looking at the specific case here, apparently the bells 'don't get rung much'. In which case everyone would also need to consider whether there are ringers around who would be suitable and would want to hold the bell chamber key. It might be that 'the tower captain' that Oliver met is in fact the last remaining learner and has never got beyond ringing backstroke under supervision.

From a purely saftey point of view, Im not sure how having a key helps if a rope / stay clapper / breaks? There is nothing having a key does to make the situation safer in the imeadiate moment, and once the saftey of any ringers / bystanders has been dealt with, presumably the bell ropes etc. can be secured in the normal way. There may need to be an additional sign saying "broken stay" (or similar), but that would probably be the case even if you had a key, as spare stays (or ropes or clappers) arnt useually readiily available. There may be an argument that there needs to be an inspection after such an incident, but presumably informing the church authorities (whomsoever they might be) would eventually procure access to the tower, if necesary, and wouldnt need to be an urgent thing.

In response to a request from the Churchwarden, on two occasions we provided a tower key to the then incumbent. On both occasions the keys were lost. Now we neither offer nor ask the question. The Ch-warden has a key (and happens to be a ringer too) so the problem has solved itself.

Oliver,
As has been said the bells including any keys are the property of The Church and the incumbent is responsible for them to the Bishop and the Diocese, the Church Wardens if they exist are given that responsibility to report and maintain. They jointly and severally have responsibility e.g. if the ropes are used by someone to commit suicide by hanging.
Again changes though now only ‘major’ changes to the fabric require a faculty
If a Tower Captain (not necessarily a Ringing master) takes on that responsibility ...
We are all aware of the Revd Ellacombe. He could not have imagined that his ‘machine’ would decades later enable rings of bells to at least be chimed when they are no longer in a fit state to be 'rung'!
The only other comment I would make is that Bell and Ringing chamber and Tower door locks are often old to very old and the keys to old locks are often badly worn so care should be taken if it is contemplated to cut/make copies of these keys; using e.g. two keys with different degrees of wear can/may/will over time wear ultimately to destruction the internals of said locks

Some years ago we had an incident were a learner commented "that bell set easily". A more experienced ringer then commented that it seemed a bit deeper set than normal. Because we had access to the bells I was able to nip upstairs and see a cracked stay with a pronounced bend, clearly just waiting to catch an unwary ringer out. I rang the bell down and practice night could continue safely, albeit with one less bell.

Could you be a bit more specific about the dangers you perceive. In most cases if something goes wrong "upstairs" there is not much that usually requires immediate attention for safety. Depending on the tower and bell-chamber - an opportunity to check for fouling before lowering other bells might be practical, but generally going into the bell chamber with the bells up is a greater risk.

Not being able to easily do routine checks on the bells might be an issue - but that requires somebody competent and fit enough to do so safely. Given that this towrer appears to have no regular band, there might not be anyone available.

The situation you report might be unusual but seems within acceptable bounds, and may be the most reasonable arrangement for the specific circumstances of that church/tower.

If you hadnt acess to the key, and you thought the stay could have broken soon, you could (and arguably should in such a circumstance) still have rung the bell down and continuted the practice. The key let you confirm the stay was broken, but didnt actually help much from a safety perspective...

The trouble was that it just seemed "different", not clearly broken. Suspicious, but not convicted.

In my old tower there isn't a further lock to stop you going from ringing chamber to bell chamber, the ladder is within the locked ringing chamber. Indeed the trap has to be kept bolted to stop vandals breaking into the church via the bell chamber.

My home tower is at a Roman Catholic church so the administrative arrangements are a bit different. I've been a keyholder since I was "volunteered" for steeple-keeping duties back in the 90s. The Parish Priest changes every few years and I "indoctrinate" him at the earliest opportunity regarding the basic safety issues in his belfry. One set of keys to the spiral staircase, the intermediate chamber and bell chamber is in my keeping, another se is with all the various other keys kept in the Sacristy / Vestry. Activity in the tower is almost entirely bell-related so under my control. The only time things go awry is when the Parish Priest's contractors or other agents need access for their purposes. They fail to tell me beforehand, and so I don't get the opportunity to give them a safety briefing regarding bells. This has happened a couple of times in the past but no damage or injuries arose.

Many years ago the tower where I was trained had a flight of steps going up to the bells (10, tenor 30 cwt) from within the ringing chamber. Access to the latter was via a locked door. All went well until we had a regimental service. The bells had been left raised after morning service ready for ringing for the regimental service. When we arrived we discovered that some anti-terrorist branch of the police (special branch?) had been up there unaccompanied inspecting the bell chamber for bombs or similar. After that an extra padlock appeared and the church authorities told in no uncertain terms just how lucky the police had been to avoid serious injury.

Does any one person actually know how many copies of the keys actually exist for your tower? What happens when a key is thought to be "missing"? Since I was "volunteered" to be Steeple Keeper at my home tower keys issued from the Vestry/Sacristy into the temporary keeping of no-ringers have occasionally failed to return. Whilst the responsibility for providing security for the tower and it's contents lies clearly outside the responsibility of the ringers, the day to day management of that security "while the tower is occupied for the purposes of bell ringing or associated small-scale bell-maintenance" lies with us. Since the early 1990s I've unilaterally decided to change the padlocks on the intermediate and the bell chambers twice and the main stair access door once due to keys going missing. Whilst I've provided the new keys to the Parish Priest, retaining copies for myself by agreement, the cost of these locks and keys were borne by the home band's funds. Since none of the keys were lost by ringers, it seems a bit of an imposition for the home band to be relied upon to keep the tower security effective overall. Whilst this is not onerous in real terms, I wonder where legal liabilities would fall should anything go wrong!

Does any one person actually know how many copies of the keys actually exist for your tower? — Mike Shelley

Yes. We have a list and the wardens periodically ask me to conduct a muster for their records. There is onen set per officer plus one set in the church safe. Some sets don't have every key, based on need. Each officer is responsible for his/her set and the wardens are responsible for the set in the safe, which is used for non-ringing access such as fire inspections, roof access, fitting Christmas lights on the tower, etc.

When "our" keys went missing it was in connection with the activities of contractors etc carrying out works in the tower and to the spire, inspections etc. The major work on the spire included installing a permanent steel laddered access route up inside from the bell chamber. The access platform for that is close above two bells so it is a nuisance and an additional health and safety concern when inspecting / maintaining those bells. Bell ringers have no legitimate reason to use this access into the spire - it's prime purpose being for future inspection / maintenance of the spire. However, there is nothing preventing someone with legitimate access to the bell chamber then going off "on a frolic of their own", (as the lawyers say), and ascending to the upper levels. I have recommended that the lowest ladder be provided with, at minimum, a lockable ladder-board, for which no bell-ringer would ever get their hands on the key - but nothing has been done. Has anyone else come a cross a similar security issue / arrangement, please?