A letter of complaint has been delivered to the Town Hall, threatening legal action if the “disturbing of the peace and noise pollution” from the bells of St Mary’s is not stopped. The letter signed “Residents of Rye”, but otherwise anonymous, purports to come from residents of Church Square.
The claim is that the noise from bell-ringing practice on Thursday evenings is such as to cause severe distress to a number of those who live in the Square and if made by any other medium but the bells would be sufficient for the police to be called. It is also claimed that the noise is hurting the business of the “Mermaid Inn and the Ypres Tower”, although there is no suggestion that either of those establishments is involved with the letter, nor, so far as we are aware, have they made any formal complaint.
The letter goes on to say that the complainants had considered approaching the church direct but “we didn’t feel we had the authority to do so”. They clearly, however, felt they had the authority to approach the Town Council.
The letter concludes with the threat that “we may have to consider going to a higher level of law under the bell ringing section of the environmental protection act of 1990”.
There is unlikely to be any reply from the Town Council and the Town Clerk has commented that “we do not respond to anonymous complaints”.
Photo: Rye News library
Is this item left over from the 1st April?
Chair Friends of St Mary’s
The bells of St. Mary’s have been rung for hundreds of years. The bell practice is for two hours on Thursday evening. It is done to bring on new bell ringers. which we desperatly need in order for the bells to continue to ring into the next generation. It is indeed a sad sad time when the residents of Rye would like to have it stopped so that they can enjoy their cocktails in peace.
Is this for real?? One wonders if this person/these people hate the beautiful sound of church bells so much then why did they move there in the first place! After all, one thing is for certain, the church was there before they were. The obvious solution for this problem is. . . MOVE!
Personally, I am not religious but I love to hear the church bells. Keep them ringing!
ps Christia, its NOT all residents of Rye. Some of us appreciate the sound of bells.
Keep the church bells ringing. They sound beautiful especially on a Sunday morning.
Perhaps those complaining ought to move to Camber and listen to a solitary church bell tolling.
Sadly it seems people move to this town expecting it to be a mausoleum, but let me remind these people this is a vibrant town for all people young and old people to enjoy the culture, where all tastes are catered for, and thats how it should remain, and you could move on if you do not like it.
Dear anonymous. Its sad that you have moved to Rye but have no sense of history or beauty. Probably best to move away.
As a frequent visitor to Rye who stays at the Mermaid Inn, I cannot imagine anyone being disturbed by the bells. They are scarcely audible at the Mermaid, and when I do hear them, the sound is pleasant and rather reassuring. If one lives in a place called Church Square, presumably one knew there was a church nearby.
I lived in The Gungarden for 10 years until 2015. The bell ringing on Thursday evenings was a joy. I considered myself to be most fortunate to live within the sound of church bells.
Pamela Pettigrew
When I bought my house in Church Square the address gave me a clue that there might be a chuch somewhere nearby – quite possibly with bells and choirs and stuff. If I wasn’t keen on hearing all that then I guess some would have thought me pretty dumb not to have house-hunted elsewhere…
I live in what many consider as the flea pit of Rye. The wrong side of the tracks; Tilling Green, and yes we can hear the bells. It is the sound of comfort, the sound of freedom, the sound of ancient history that many shed blood to protect. Yet other believers would like the bells to be silenced…. take a look of what is happening in our state schools…. Let us keep our history, our freedom and our way of life intact; for our future generations. The sound of church bells means all is well.
John Wylie
Bastard Normans! Coming over here building churches and ringing bells. This has been going on for over a thousand years, when will it ever stop?
Mr Farage warned us this would happen…….
This is reminiscent of people who move to the countryside then complain that cows smell and cocks crow in the morning….long may the bells ring out.
This just beggars belief. It’s like people who move close to a pub and then complain about noise. We should count ourselves lucky that we have people to ring the bells – it’s a beautiful, historical sound.
Don’t buy a house in a place called Church Square and not expect there to be a church nearby with all the associated events. No doubt they are who have recently moved to Rye…. If you don’t like it – move. Keep our bells!!!
When my husband was Rector of Rye Church some 20+ years ago he had a complaint from a newly moved in resident into Pump Street. She insisted the bells should cease. He asked her if she felt like that why did she buy a house adjacent to the church. She fumed and fussed but eventually finnished up making a beautiful altar frontal for the church. I think some people just look for anything to complain about. Well said Anthony very drole!
Who ever made this complaint needs to move away. I lived in West Street for 7 years and enjoyed listening to the bell ringing on Thursday evenings. It is unbelievable that people move near to a church with bells and then want the bells silenced. Do they also want them stopped for weddings, church services and other civic events? Maybe a petition should be started to save the church bells!
Until our recent move we co-habited very happily with the bells of St Mary’s church. We lived at The Old Vicarage, Church Square for more than eight years and were as close to the bells as anyone – a fact obvious to us from the address before purchasing the property. Bell ringing practice on a Thursday lasts merely from 7.30 to 9.00 pm and to us had a happy sound of volunteers generously donating their time to continue a tradition, much appreciated by residents, visitors and especially wedding parties. We previously owned a house opposite the Mermaid and were hardly aware of the bells from there. Church Square is not a mausoleum, but a community of lively, very varied residents – one of whom may even be a bell-ringer!
I grew up on the high street and loved to hear the bells every Thursday, now I live in the US and all we get is canned bells, playing show tunes!
I miss real bell ringing. 🙁