'The sound of a story': The role of Suffolk's bells in King's proclamation

Bells across the county will ring out following the official Suffolk proclamations on Sunday (September 11).

It will be the first time since the announcement of Queen Elizabeth II's passing that the bells will be rung openly - with the bells so far having been muffled in line with tradition stretching back over hundreds of years.

Public relations officer for the Suffolk guild of ringers, Neal Dodge, said: “This is a once in a generation if not several generations events, it’s one that we’re all very deeply proud to be a part of.

Public relations officer for the Suffolk guild of ringers, Neal Dodge. (Image: Neal Dodge)

“The bells in our towers can be heard for miles around.

“It’s a sound that will be familiar to our ancestors – it's a sound of a story.

“It’s a signal that a new king is in place for our local communities – it's a sound that’s been heard in our villages and towns for over 400 years.

“It’s our way of playing our part in this centuries long tradition."

The link between Suffolk's bells and royalty stretches back for hundreds of years. Newspaper records indicate that bells in Stowmarket rang to welcome Catherine of Braganza - who would become the wife of Charles II - as far back as 1662.

Bells across Suffolk - in places such as Bury, Bramford, Wrentham, Ipswich, Fressingfield, and Beccles all rang muffled to mark the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in 1817.

Many more towers rang three years later for the death of George IV.

Suffolk is also home to some of Britain's oldest ringing bells - with 16% of the county's bells cast prior to 1600, which is the largest percentage of any English county.

The largest bells at Little Cornard and Ampton were cast in the early 1400s so have marked royal events for their local communities since the reign of Henry IV.

The bell at Ampton is further connected to royalty, with the representation of King - supposedly Edward III - cast onto the surface.