People of all ages from around 10 years of age upwards can learn to ring. It's never too late to start learning, people in their 60s come to learn to ring for the first time.
Ringing requires mental and physical coordination, together with a sense of rhythm. You do not need to be physically strong. It is all about learning techniques and skills.
You can view these video clips to learn more about ringing. More information is given about learning after them.
This first video is around 3 minutes long and gives some general background on ringing.
Association of Ringing Teachers
This second video gives you some idea of what learning to ring will actually involve. It is approximately 15 minutes long.
Producer/Director: Adam Bacon
This video is a full length (45 mins) documentary about ringing in the UK.
A documentary made in 2006 by George Perrin about the English art of bellringing
What type of commitment will be expected of me?
Teaching each bellringer involves a substantial amount of an instructors time. We therefore ask that, once you have learned, you undertake to ring for Sunday service regularly, that you are punctual, and that you practise regularly to maintain and improve your skills.
How long does learning take?
There are several stages in learning to ring: -
Stage 1
The initial training takes about 8 hours, where you learn to handle a tower bell on your own.
Stage 2
Once you have learned to ring alone you will then learn to ring with others. Once you have done that you will be able to join us in ringing for a service on a Sunday.
Stage 3
This stage is where you start learning to ring different methods (or patterns). It starts with very basic skills and never ends - there are many to choose from. As a local band of ringers we ring both simple and complex methods.
Who will be teaching me?
All our instructors have extensive experience of teaching people to ring. This includes teaching on regional ringing courses so you will be in good hands. We have instructors with DBS certification for teaching children under-18.