Annual bell-ringing contest to be held at Boston church - climb of 198 steps for each competitor

The 37th Ridgman Trophy is to be decided at St Botolph’s Church on Saturday (June 21) from 10am.

The annual campanological contest involves bands from the following associations and guilds:

• Bedfordshire Association of Church Bell Ringers
• Cambridge University Guild of Change Ringers
• The Ely Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers
• Essex Association of Change Ringers
• Hertford County Association of Change Ringers
• Leicester Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers
• The Lincoln Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers
• Norwich Diocesan Association of Ringers
• Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
• The Suffolk Guild of Ringers for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich

Lincolnshire has previously hosted the event at Grantham and Surfleet; it has never won, but has finished runner-up on three occasions, most recently in 2023.

This year, seven bands are set to take on the test piece – a half course of Yorkshire Surprise Royal.

Each troupe will have a 15-minute practice time, followed by the test piece, which lasts about eight minutes.

The last band will start at 1pm.

However, there is an additional challenge, as Dr Keith Butter, master of The Lincoln Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers, told The Standard ...

“Before starting to ring, every ringer will need to climb the near 200 steps to the ringing chamber!” he noted.

He said the best place to hear the ringing was not in the church, but in the grounds and surrounding area.

“However, the church is certainly worth a visit and in addition there will be a craft fair held in the church that day,” he added.

“For many, it may be the first time for a long time that you have heard the bells of St Botolph’s ringing out,” he continued. “There is a reason for this; although bell-ringers are across the age range, the average age of ringers continues to rise and many ringers failed to return to ringing following Covid.

“We are keen to find new recruits to this essentially English pastime and there is desk in the church where you can find out more about bell-ringing.”