Today, Friday 09 September, the bells of Preshute, Minal and St Mary’s Churches will ring out at midday, but muffled or half muffled.
At Preshute all six bells in the tower will be wholly muffled. At Minal, a single bell will toll half muffled, and St Mary’s will be tolling all eight bells, but half muffled.
What is ‘muffled or ‘half muffled’? Muffling means that a leather pad is attached to one or both sides of the bell’s clapper so that when the bell is rung, it gives a quite ‘dead’ sound – muffled when on both sides of the clapper, or an echo sound when half muffled. The tolling of bells in this way is a sign of mourning, today for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Bells will be rung in this way across the country, at the same time, and for one hour and will be heard across the nation.
Queen Elizabeth II – 1926 – 2022
