Learning to ring

We have an active and sociable band of ringers but are always looking for new recruits. Also, we would be pleased to welcome anybody who learnt to ring some time ago, maybe had a break for a few years, and now wants to return. One of our current ringers learnt as a teenager and then didn’t touch a rope for fifty years. Within one evening she was ringing again; it really is like learning to ride a bike, you never forget.

Why not give it a go? Whereas it takes time to learn to ring a bell, it is also very rewarding, being a combination of both physical skills and also an intellectual challenge and you will never run out of new things to learn. We practise weekly, on Tuesday evenings, 8pm to 9.30pm and always visit the Star in Church Street afterwards.

To see a bit more about what ringing involves, the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers is a good place to start. Also, most years we open the ringing chamber on the Saturday of Heritage Weekend (the third Saturday in September). Search ‘Godalming Heritage Weekend’ for up-to-date information. This is a good opportunity to see a live demonstration and explanation of ringing, to ask questions and even to go up into the belfry to see the bells.

Contact                                                                                                                       
Please email the Tower Captain, Jonathan Deane at J.Deane@surrey.ac.uk

Ringing times                                                                                                           
Sunday (ringing for the 10am service) 9.30am – 10am                                     
Tuesday (practice night) 8pm – 9.30pm                                                             
Peals, quarter peals and outings – by arrangement

Weddings                                                                                                                 
Please book wedding bells via the Parish Office email godalming.church.office@googlemail.com

About the bells                                                                                                       
There is a long history of bells in the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Godalming.
For details, see the church guidebook by Alan Bott.

The recent history, in brief, is that the old, mixed set of eight 22 cwt in E, with dates varying from about 1750 – 1950, was sold to John Taylor & Co of Loughborough, who cast us a new set in 2017. The impetus for this came from the fact that unusually generous 50% funding was available to successful applicants to the Bridget Gordon Legacy.

The old bells have found a welcoming home at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Geraldton, Western Australia, where they form part of a 27-bell carillon. You can read about this here.

A completely new ring of eight, 24 cwt in E flat, were cast by Taylor of Loughborough and installed by them in May-July 2017. They are the heaviest ring of eight in the Guildford Diocesan Guild and we are exceptionally pleased with them. They sound wonderful.