Romsey Abbey Bellringers

Romsey Abbey has a fine ring of eight bells, rung by an enthusiastic group of bellringers. We ring for Sunday services from 8:45am until 9:30am and between 5:45pm and 6:30pm. We also ring for weddings and funerals by request. We practice on Wednesday evenings and usually head to the pub afterwards. In addition we organise an annual outing to visit other churches with bells and a number of social events.

Visiting ringers are always welcome on Sundays and at our practice night, but it is best to get in contact to ensure that ringing is taking place when you would like to come.

As well as being a service to the church, bellringing is a great hobby which combines mental agility and physical activity. Some of our ringers learned to ring whilst still at school, whereas others took it up as a retirement hobby. We welcome anyone that is interested in learning from age 10 upwards. If you think that you might like to learn, get in touch and we will arrange for you to visit to tower to meet us and learn more about what it involves. You can email us at bells@romseyabbey.org.uk

You can see a YouTube clip of some ringing at the Abbey here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6hrVktqMgk

The Abbey Bellringers and Friends just after midnight at New Year 2026

A brief history of the bells

There are 8 bells hung in the wooden octagonal belfry or lantern which sits on top of the tower. There have been bells hung in the tower of Romsey Abbey since 1624.  The bells are unusual in that they were cast as a complete ring of eight. Nearly all rings from this period comprised bells cast from various founders.

Originally there were 6 bells hung in a separate tower situated on a site now occupied by a garage in Church Road, 50 yards from the North Transept. In 1624 the bells were moved to their present location. This frame only held 5 bells so we presume that the remaining bell was hung above the others, or in a separate housing outside the lantern.

In 1791 the 6 bells were purchased by Thomas Mears, a Bell Founder in London (now Whitechapel Bell Foundry). The present ring of 8 bells were cast at this same foundry and hung in a new frame, retaining the 1624 sub-frame.

In 1893 the bells were overhauled and re-hung on fresh bearings by Messrs. Blackburn and Greenleaf of Salisbury. At the same time work was carried out to strengthen the frame in an attempt to reduce movement whilst the bells were rung.

This re-hanging, however, did not solve all the problems and in 1928 Whitechapel Foundry reported on the bells, recommending that they be re-hung on modern fittings. i.e. cast iron headstocks and ball bearings.  Moreover, in 1932 it was found that the 3rd, 5th and 7th bells were cracked and had to be re-cast. The remaining bells were tuned and quarter-turned.

Unfortunately, following recasting and tuning, insufficient funds were available to replace the wooden headstocks.Over 40 years later, in 1976 the bells were finally re-hung using cast iron headstocks, refurbished bearings and had new wheels and ropes fitted.

Around the early 1990s, parts of the 1624 sub-frame were found to be deteriorating and the bells were getting increasingly more difficult to ring due to excessive frame movement. Clearly, some refurbishment was required. In 2007 all the bells and frame were removed from the tower. The 1624 sub-frame was replaced and the 1791 frame repaired and reinstalled. The bells were also tuned again by Whitechapel before being re-hung back in the tower.

The tenor is the heaviest bell and weighs just over 22cwt (1140kgs). This bell has the deepest note of the ring and is in the key of D♭. The lightest bell is called the treble and weighs 6cwt (324kgs).

Romsey Abbey Bellringers after ringing at Henley on Thames on their Annual Outing

Bellringing FAQs

I have seen people swinging on ropes in films and cartoons, is that all it is?

No, there is a lot more to bellringing than that. Indeed, it is nothing like that at all.

How is it done?

The bells are tuned to a normal (diatonic) scale and it is usual to start with ringing down the scale, a sequence which ringers call “rounds”. The order in which the bells sound is then altered to give different sequences called “rows” or “changes”.

Changes may be called out individually by the conductor, and this style is known as call-change ringing. Alternatively, the changes may be made to a pre-set pattern or “method”, and each ringer must learn that method in order to know when his or her particular bell must sound in each row. This style is known as method ringing. Call changes and a few standard methods are rung in most towers and this makes it very easy for ringers to visit and ring with other bands. Visiting other towers is one of the enjoyable aspects of bellringing and visiting ringers are always welcomed at any of the thousands of towers in the UK and abroad. There are many more advanced methods which provide a continuing challenge as ringers gain proficiency over time.

Change ringing is also performed on handbells either to provide additional opportunities for practice or as an activity in its own right. It is, of course, popular with groups of ringers who live far from towers with change-ringing bells.

Are there towers abroad?

England is the home of bellringing with over six thousand rings of bells. There are also bells hung for ringing in the English style in the other countries of the British Isles and a number in the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. A few other countries, including some European countries, have one or two rings in the English style.

The Abbey’s bells are very heavy. Is it hard work to ring them?
Ringing involves learning the technique to control and handle the bells. Although there is some effort involved, it is largely about control and timing and does not involve brute force.

Do ringers have to be strong?
No, but you do need to be reasonably fit. There are over 100 steps to the ringing chamber at Romsey Abbey and the last flight is steep and uneven. There is more effort involved in ringing the biggest bells, but anyone is capable of learning to ring. We recommend 10 as the earliest age when someone is big enough to learn to ring and there is no upper age limit consistent with being able to ascend the stairs and undertake a modest level of physical activity.

How long does it take to learn to ring.

Learning to ring is a bit like learning to play a musical instrument, you start with simple things and over time you progress to ringing things of greater complexity. The basic technique of handling a bell is taught in one to one lessons over a number of weeks until you are able to ring on your own. Once you have mastered the basic technique, you will start to ring with others and gradually progress from there. There is always something new and interesting to learn whatever stage you are at. As always with learning something new, the younger that you start the more progress that you are likely to make. There are ringers who have been taught to ring at Romsey Abbey whilst at school who are now able to ring at the highest levels in bellringing.

Is ringing dangerous?
Ringing a church bell is quite safe when rung properly. There are some hazards just like operating any other heavy equipment. This is why each person is carefully trained how to ring bells safely under close supervision of an experience ringer. There are very few accidents, and bell ringing has a much better safety record than many other active pursuits or activities in daily life.

Do ringers need to be religious and attend church
Anyone is welcome to become a ringer irrespective of their faith, or none. Some ringers attend church but many do not. Some are members of a different faith or attend a different church. Ringers are expected to ring for Sunday services and other services such as weddings when they can and most ringers are happy to do this in return for the use of the bells and, of course, we enjoy ringing them.