There has been a resurgence in bell ringing in Dorset thanks to a national campaign.

The Ringing Remembers campaign sought to recruit 1,400 new bell ringers across the UK to remember the 1,400 bell ringers who died during the First World War.

The campaign has led to new bands of bell ringers starting in towers where the bells had not been heard for many years.

Villages in West Dorset, including Abbotsbury, Martinstown. Puddletown and Hilton, are seeing a number of bell ringers coming forward to get involved.

Dorset County Association of Church Bell Ringers (DCA) financed and promoted a number of events to help encourage new bell ringers to learn the ropes.

In Abbotsbury, Frank Atrill, a lifelong bell ringer, put together a new team after being approached by the local vicar, Revd Margaret Preuss-Higham.

Mr Atrill and Matthew Bakewell, another keen bell ringer, were tasked with teaching the newcomers. He said: “From a standing start, Frank began teaching three novices from Abbotsbury, then me from Portesham then successive additional pupils from the area. Although not the ideal way to teach ringing (the best way is to fit one, maybe two newcomers into an experienced team), with his wealth of experience and endless patience, Frank has built a confident and competent group of ringers.”

Mr Bakewell learned how to teach bell ringing thanks to a DCA funded course held at Charminster parish church last year.

In Martinstown, the Ringing Remembers campaign prompted a number of people to come forward to try bell ringing.

Howard Bowering said: “We now have a regular weekly practice, including six local people. The learners are all getting better at handling the bells. We ring rounds and call changes and do some pull-off and stand exercises for a bit of variety.”

In Puddletown, Robin Mears, a DCA Ringing Master has been able to hold regular practices in the village after an increase of bell ringers coming forward.

He said: “We have three men and two ladies who come regularly, another who joins us when she can and a 13-year-old boy.”

In Hilton, six beginners decided to try bell ringing after researching the village’s war dead.

Mary Brice said: “Our primary objective was to make sure that the bells at All Saints rang on November 11, 2018 in honour of Frederick Samways and William Drake.

“Samways was 19 when he died in 1919, in hospital in Chelsea. During my research I discovered that he was a bell ringer, along with another Hilton casualty, William Drake, a garden worker.”

Bell-ringing practice takes place at parish churches on:

n Hilton Fridays 7pm

n Puddletown Thursdays 6-7.30pm

n Abbotsbury Saturdays 10am

n Martinstown Wednesdays 7.30pm