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The UK government did promise to reduce the grounds for noise complaints about church bells, on the grounds that normally they were there before the complainant

The UK government did promise to reduce the grounds for noise complaints about church bells, on the grounds that normally they were there before the complainant arrived, and would still be there long after they were gone, but it appears it was like many government promises... https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2018/2-february/news/uk/new-policy-protect-church-bells-silenced-complaining-neighbours https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2018/2-february/news/...

trasz 4y ago
“The church bells had chimed unchallenged every 15 minutes since 1779.” Over _all the night_. Seriously, this appears to be quite a rational complaint.
- Veen 4y ago
  It was hardly a surprise, though. They must have known about the bells before they bought the property.
- clort 4y ago
  My sister lives about 100m from such a church tower (which has 5 300yr old bells). Its not really as intrusive as one might imagine..
- crustycoder 4y ago
  There's usually two different things going on in UK bell towers - bell ringing which involves ringing the bells full-circle using the internal clappers, and clock chiming which uses external hammers driven my the clock. The clock chiming is much quieter than change ringing. Ours only chimes on the hour but it's going 24/7 and is very close to the surrounding houses (~40m) some of which are uphill and directly in line with the bells. I had to go in today to fettle it as it wasn't chiming and someone had posted on the village FB group that they were missing it. That's a fairly regular occurrence, most people people like hearing them, even through the night. Any complaints we get are when the clock stops. It is possible to modify clocks to stop them chiming overnight, although ours is still in its entirely mechanical 1883 form, including me having to wind it every week.
  - trasz 4y ago
    If people want this, then it should be fine. To me, in case described in the article above the bells were to stay because of the church and tradition, not because the citizens wanted them.
    - crustycoder 4y ago
      It's usually one miserable git who complains, most people who buy houses next to big sticky up things at the end of religious building are smart enough to figure out what's in them.

trasz 4y ago

“The church bells had chimed unchallenged every 15 minutes since 1779.” Over _all the night_. Seriously, this appears to be quite a rational complaint.

Veen 4y ago
It was hardly a surprise, though. They must have known about the bells before they bought the property.
clort 4y ago
My sister lives about 100m from such a church tower (which has 5 300yr old bells). Its not really as intrusive as one might imagine..
crustycoder 4y ago
There's usually two different things going on in UK bell towers - bell ringing which involves ringing the bells full-circle using the internal clappers, and clock chiming which uses external hammers driven my the clock. The clock chiming is much quieter than change ringing. Ours only chimes on the hour but it's going 24/7 and is very close to the surrounding houses (~40m) some of which are uphill and directly in line with the bells. I had to go in today to fettle it as it wasn't chiming and someone had posted on the village FB group that they were missing it. That's a fairly regular occurrence, most people people like hearing them, even through the night. Any complaints we get are when the clock stops. It is possible to modify clocks to stop them chiming overnight, although ours is still in its entirely mechanical 1883 form, including me having to wind it every week.
- trasz 4y ago
  If people want this, then it should be fine. To me, in case described in the article above the bells were to stay because of the church and tradition, not because the citizens wanted them.
  - crustycoder 4y ago
    It's usually one miserable git who complains, most people who buy houses next to big sticky up things at the end of religious building are smart enough to figure out what's in them.