Morecambe Bay, Lancashire - Time and Tide Bell

The Morecambe Bay Bell

Overview

Location

Tides

The Morecambe Bay Bell

Morecambe Bay is the largest continuous intertidal area in the whole of the UK fed by five major rivers, the Leven, Kent, Keer, Lune and Wyre. Approximately 120 square miles (310 square km) of mainly sand- flats and mudflats are exposed at low tide and covered on most high tides. Morecambe Bay is given the highest possible level of conservation designation in the form of European RAMSAR site and Special Protection Area. The underlying reason for this designation is that Morecambe Bay supports large numbers of shellfish, crustaceans and other mud-dwelling creatures, also over 200,000 birds, mainly waders and wildfowl, spend the winter months in Morecambe Bay. In addition to overwintering birds, many thousands of migrating waders use the Bay as a refuelling pit- stop on their way to and from their breeding sites, connecting this site to Africa, Greenland, and Siberia. The Morecambe Bay bell was installed on Friday 8th March 2019.

The Morecambe Artist Colony website:

The bell is an art installation suspended over the sea from the Stone Jetty off the Promenade. It is one of a national programme of tidal bells in British coastal waters designed by the international artist Marcus Vergette. Developed to draw public attention to the threat of climate change a clapper hanging down into the sea causes the bell to toll as the tides rise and fall.

Bell ringing July 2021

Pete Moser's playing of the bell at high water springs brings out its extraordinary harmonic properties this month.

Recording at High Tide, May 27 2021

Photos from throughout May.... One of the unusual features of the Morecambe Bell is that it only rings due to the waves at higher tides, those either side of springs.

Seasonal tunes, High Tide in Morecambe, December 2020

Pete Moser and friend celebrate the highest tide in December 2020.Wrapped up warmer than in August , and with less wind. Thanks, all!

The bell is rung at high tide, August 21 2020

Exploring the full range of harmonics, using a variety of mallets and strikers - multi-instrumentalist Pete Moser is at it again.

Installing the bell

The unusual installation of this bell took place in challenging weather in February and March of 2019. After extensive engineering work to the Stone Jetty, undertaken by VolkerStevin, the bell was hoisted into place and final adjustments were made by Marcus Vergette - shown in the photo. This is a project of the Morecambe Artist […]

Citizen Science and iNaturalist in Morecambe Bay

We are continuing to develop our Citizen Science programme, after the long break enforced by the lockdown, furloughs, etc etc. At the heart of this project is the enormously powerful tool iNaturalist. We have created what the platform calls a 'place' - see below. It is deliberately somewhat larger than the immediate environs of the […]

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