Page 29 - Frittenden Parish Mag - July - 2021

Bell Ringers Birds

A Matter When it comes to wildlife, there is much Rarities

around us here that is with us all year.
Just occasionally, however, it is possible and Re-
of Balance to encounter something unusual or

even rare, or perhaps something that
is just passing over. You can’t plan introductions
Rebecca Steele most of these encounters - they just
happen, but when they happen it is a Rebecca Brown
The largest bell in the tower at Frittenden real pleasure and worth celebrating.
weighs 15 cwt or, in modern terms 777 Kg.
This is the about the same as a Smart car and Over the last few years, there has been
twelve times heavier than me. Through many much excitement over the re-establishment on Bewl Water. Extinct as a breeding
years of experimentation, the English people of white-tailed sea eagles on the Isle of visitor in the mid C20th, its numbers are
have devised a way that even elderly ladies, Wight. These beautiful raptors went slowly increasing and it’s a bird to look
many years my senior, can skilfully rotate this
¾ tonne of bronze through 365 degrees with extinct in the UK over 100 years ago but out for when you visit the coast, especially
minimal effort. This is because it is all a matter have been successfully re-introduced into at the Rye Harbour or Dungeness bird
of balance... Scotland and, more recently, the Isle of reserves or the north Kent marshes,
Wight. The white-tailed eagle is one of where it sometimes stops over on its long
Everyone who lives in Frittenden is capable of There are many stories about inexperienced
ringing the heaviest bell in St Mary’s bell tower bellringers being carried aloft and colliding with the biggest eagles in the world, earning it migration. There is even a pair trying to
because, once raised into the upright position, the ceiling; this stems more from the comedy the nickname of ‘flying barn door’! With nest at Poole Harbour, so one day…
only a small amount of effort is required to start favourites such as Dad’s Army and ‘Allo ‘Allo a wingspan of up to 8’ it dwarfs any other
the bell moving and provide enough momentum rather than real-life situations. I did have one birds in the sky around it. But why is this Well I’ve never seen a white-tailed eagle
for the bell to turn 365 degrees to the upright accident when I forgot to let go of the rope while relevant to us? Because in the last few but I’ve watched an osprey fishing and it’s
position again. In fact the most effort that you learning but this resulted in a slight rope burn a spectacular sight. And with so many bird
are likely to exert in your first visit to the tower rather than broken bones and a collision with months one of the Isle of Wight eagles has species in decline, these success stories
will be climbing the forty stairs to the ringing the roof rafters... been happily criss-crossing the skies of are beacons of hope, showing that active
chamber. The skill, which takes a little longer southern England and has flown over this
to master, is providing just the right amount The bellringers at Frittenden Tower range in age area of Kent. Was anyone lucky enough conservation really can make a difference.
of effort so that the bell gets back to the from thirteen years old to... quite a little older to see it? Not me, but it’s always worth
upright position again without bouncing off and all ages are welcome to come and visit and
the bell frame! try handling the world’s loudest percussion keeping a look out; I’m sure it’ll be back.
instrument. Bellringing is great fun and satisfies
many interests: historical, musical, physical, Another rare bird that sometimes flies our
mechanical and even mathematical. You do way is the osprey. Migrating to and from
not, however, need to be particularly musical, Africa in autumn and spring, the osprey
physical or mathematically-minded to take up is also large - a wingspan of nearly 2m
bellringing as a hobby. again distinguishes it from our resident
Once the current onerous restrictions relating to buzzards and smaller raptors. En route
the coronavirus pandemic have passed, you will to their breeding sites in the north, they
be very welcome to visit the ringing chamber. All can occasionally been seen in the skies
that is needed is that you climb the forty steps on
a Monday evening! overhead or even, if you are lucky, fishing

28 Frittenden Parish Magazine July/August 2021 Frittenden Parish Magazine July/August 2021 29