Worcester Cathedral Bells

Ringing Times

Sundays

The regular weekly ringing is from 9.15 - 10.30am. Ringing at other times may take place on an ad hoc basis. For an up-to-date ringing timetable (including peal and quarter-peal dates) go to http://worcesterbells.co.uk/

Practices

Practices are held on a Monday, from 7.30 - 9.15 pm. Visitors are welcome to join us but we like to know in advance; they should therefore check the arrangements with one of the "Contacts" first (see below).

Teaching Centre

Go to http://worcesterbells.co.uk/ for information on the cathedral's innovative Teaching Centre.

Contacts

Worcester Cathedral Guild of Bellringers

Master:  Mark Regan ringingmaster@worcesterbells.co.uk

Tel: 01905-354339

Secretary: Jim Clatworthy secretary@worcesterbells.co.uk

Tel: 01905-355482

Access

On Sundays, the meeting place is the North Transept. Enter the Cathedral and turn left twice to bring you to the tower entrance door. The ascent is quite straightforward.

If the cathedral is closed (e.g. when there is an evening practice), the meeting place is the "Friend's Door", a small door on the north side, just east of the North Transept. To avoid any disappointment at being locked-out, intending visitors should make arrangements with one of the contact persons well in advance.

On Sundays and Monday evenings cars may normally be parked in the churchyard on the north side of the cathedral.

Back to Contents

Click here to view photo of bells and bell frame

The conventional 'Middle Eight' of a ring of twelve (9th as tenor) is provided by substituting the Flat 6th for the 6th bell. A further major octave, with the 11th (C#) as tenor, can be had by using the Flat 4th and the Flat 8th. There are two 'Minor Tens': one, in the Melodic Minor Mode, uses bells 2 to 11, with the Flat 6th instead of the 6th. (Any ring of twelve with a Flat 6th has a Melodic Minor Minor Ten.) Using bells 2 - 11, with the Flat 4th substituted for the 5th and the Flat 6th substituted for the 6th, produces the 'Harmonic Minor Ten'. The haunting sound of this ring is traditionally heard to good effect when ringing with the bells half-muffled on New Year's Eve.

Back to Contents

Brief History

Displayed in the Cloisters are five bells from the former ring of eight. Early history is unclear, but four are medieval bells which may have hung in either or both of two bell towers at some time. Two, because there was once a separate Clochium as well as a central tower. During the Victorian restoration, the enthusiasm of the Revd. Richard Cattley (Minor Canon) for bells and clocks led to the replacement of the old eight by a new heavy twelve, tenor 50cwts in D. These bells were cast by Taylor's in 1869 to Lord Grimthorpe's specification. In the previous year they had cast the 4 1/2 ton Bourdon Bell. These bells were reputedly a good 'back ten', but a poor twelve, and in 1928 all fifteen ringing bells were recast. They are now generally acknowledged to be one of the finest rings in the country.

Another notable feature is the wooden sub-frame, or 'Wigwam', which supports the oak bell frame. This massive cross-braced structure formed from pitch-pine rises through three floors below the bells as shown in this sketch and provides additional support to the frame. The combination of tower and frame movement when these heavy bells are rung means that they are 'tricky', to say the least!

A further feature of the Victorian restoration was the installation of a carillon machine to play tunes on fourteen of the fifteen bells. It has seven barrels, with provision for forty-nine different tunes. (N.B. Carillon out of action for the foreseeable future.)

All Saints        St Andrew's      St Helen's       Old St Martins

St Nicholas's   St Swithun's      Claines             St John's homepage

Other Links:

Worcestershire and Districts Association  (Sunday ringing, practices, contacts, etc).

Details of  'Bells in Worcestershire' (David Bagley's homepage).

Page compiled by David Beacham ©. Updated November 2011

Visitors

Visitors are welcome. However, they are advised to check with one of the contacts first that there have been no changes to the published ringing programme. Arrangements for outings, Quarter Peals and Peals may be made; please contact the Secretary. Visitors are advised that these heavy bells are not easy to ring. (The peal total at 31.12.11 was 130.)

The Bells