A brief history of the bells is that:
1552: A ring of 3 bells were installed.
1637: A ring, probably of 5 bells were recast by Thomas Hancox II of Walsall and fitted to an oak frame.
1730: The bells were recast, by Joseph Smith of Edgbaston, as a ring of 6.
1875: The bells were rehung in the old frame with new fittings and arranged as a clockwise ring by William Blews of Birmingham.
1923: A new ring with scientific tuning was cast and fitted by Taylor’s of Loughborough.
1999: The present ring of 10 was completed by Taylor’s with the addition of two new trebles, a new frame placed in the old ringing chamber and a ground floor ringing chamber. A ground floor ringing chamber was created so that the oak frame of 1637 could be left in place.
2017: On Twitter twitter.com/stlaurencering
BELLRINGING GROUP
It takes quite a long time to learn to ring and we have ringers with a range of abilities at St Laurence’s. We have hosted functions for The St Martin’s Guild (an association to which all Churches with bells in the Birmingham Diocese are affiliated).
Ringing is a very sociable activity and a number of our ringers go to neighbouring towers at Harborne, Smethwick, Birmingham Cathedral. Ringers from neighbouring towers help us out at times. This mutual support means that ringing can be maintained at more towers than might otherwise be possible. Ringers from St Laurence attend social events at other towers and two of our ringers were taught at Harborne.
You will hear the bells ringing on Saturdays especially through the summer months for weddings.
The only limits we put on ringing is that there are twelve peals allowed each year (usually one each calendar month), bearing in mind that a peal can be three hours of non-stop ringing.
Ringing also takes place for a short time on Sundays: 9.25 am to 9.55 am and for a little longer at the Friday practice sessions, from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm.
1552: A ring of 3 bells were installed.
1637: A ring, probably of 5 bells were recast by Thomas Hancox II of Walsall and fitted to an oak frame.
1730: The bells were recast, by Joseph Smith of Edgbaston, as a ring of 6.
1875: The bells were rehung in the old frame with new fittings and arranged as a clockwise ring by William Blews of Birmingham.
1923: A new ring with scientific tuning was cast and fitted by Taylor’s of Loughborough.
1999: The present ring of 10 was completed by Taylor’s with the addition of two new trebles, a new frame placed in the old ringing chamber and a ground floor ringing chamber. A ground floor ringing chamber was created so that the oak frame of 1637 could be left in place.
2017: On Twitter twitter.com/stlaurencering
BELLRINGING GROUP
It takes quite a long time to learn to ring and we have ringers with a range of abilities at St Laurence’s. We have hosted functions for The St Martin’s Guild (an association to which all Churches with bells in the Birmingham Diocese are affiliated).
Ringing is a very sociable activity and a number of our ringers go to neighbouring towers at Harborne, Smethwick, Birmingham Cathedral. Ringers from neighbouring towers help us out at times. This mutual support means that ringing can be maintained at more towers than might otherwise be possible. Ringers from St Laurence attend social events at other towers and two of our ringers were taught at Harborne.
You will hear the bells ringing on Saturdays especially through the summer months for weddings.
The only limits we put on ringing is that there are twelve peals allowed each year (usually one each calendar month), bearing in mind that a peal can be three hours of non-stop ringing.
Ringing also takes place for a short time on Sundays: 9.25 am to 9.55 am and for a little longer at the Friday practice sessions, from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm.
