The tower of St Michael and All Angels is one of the most striking features of the church. Rising above the hilltop, it has watched over Hathersage for more than five centuries. From the outside you can admire the tall, graceful spire and the finely carved stonework. From the inside you can hear the sound that has called people to worship, marked celebrations and tolled in moments of sorrow. These are the bells of Hathersage.
The lower part of the tower dates from the fourteenth century. The upper section and the spire were added in the fifteenth century during the major rebuilding of the church carried out by the Eyre family. The spire is octagonal and almost eighty feet high. It sits on a tower that was not originally designed for it, which shows the remarkable skill of the medieval builders.
The tower walls are decorated with carved pinnacles, waterspouts and gargoyles. Some of these carvings were damaged in a great storm in 1872 and were never replaced, but the tower still shows the ambition and craftsmanship of the medieval stonemasons.
Inside the tower hangs a ring of six bells. The ringing chamber sits above the oak screen at the west end of the nave. If you stand near the tower arch you can look up and see the space where the bell ringers gather.
Some of the bells date back to the fifteenth century, which links the present day with the world of the medieval church. Over the centuries the bells have been recast, rehung and repaired, but the tradition of bellringing in Hathersage has continued without interruption for generations.
For hundreds of years these bells have marked the life of the parish. They have:
• Called worshippers to church
• Celebrated weddings and feast days
• Tolled in remembrance of the departed
• Marked national events such as coronations and victories
• Welcomed visitors and pilgrims to the village
Bellringing is still an active part of church life today. The sound of the bells carries across the valley and is a familiar part of the landscape. On practice nights and on Sunday mornings you can hear the rhythmic pattern of change ringing rising from the tower.
The bells are not only historic objects. They are a living tradition that connects the present parish community with the people who once climbed the same spiral staircase and rang the same tower bells centuries ago.
As you stand here, take a moment to look up. Imagine the effort it took to haul the original bells into place. Think of the craftspeople who shaped the stones of the tower and carved the gargoyles that still watch from above. The church spire has been a landmark for travellers for hundreds of years, and the sound of its bells continues to be a voice of Hathersage.
