Bell Ringers

Only average strength and health are needed. Our bells are fairly light, and a child of 12 or 13 can learn to ring the lighter ones quite easily. It is more about technique than strength. The very heavy bells at cathedrals sometimes need more, but ours are very manageable and there is no upper age limit. You do need to be able to climb the 42 steps to the ringing room.

Our practice is on Tuesday evenings from 7.45 to 9.00. On Sunday mornings we ring from 10.00 until 10.30, and on Sunday evenings from 6.00 until 6.30 if you have the time to ring twice. Everyone has holidays and times when they cannot be there, so the more of us there are to ring at Monken Hadley the better.

We ring for weddings, mainly in the summer and we are paid expenses for that.  We also ring on special State and Church occasions such as lighting the Beacon, Jubilee celebrations, New Year’s Eve, Church Fairs and open days.

Full training will be given by the ringing team together with the help of Central Council of Church Bell Ringing, which provides training publications and other written material.  There are also computer based software aids and training courses available once you have progressed.  Monken Hadley tower is a member of the Middx Association of Change Ringers and the Hertford County Association and we can tap into help and guidance from them. 

The main skill is to have a good sense of rhythm.  If you have a good musical ear it is a bonus but not essential.

Yes, we do!  We have outings to ring at other church towers, which, always include a pub lunch but more regularly we have parties and small gatherings in the tower to celebrate birthdays and almost every month there is an excuse to celebrate some event.  We often adjourn to the pub after the practice on Tuesdays where we can discuss ringing strategy and put the world to right.  We always have a Christmas Dinner.