Beaminster Bells

14/06/2025

On Wednesday, 2nd July, we’ll be heading over to Broadwindsor for our practice night from 7:30pm to 9pm whilst there is a concert in St Mary’s.

If you’re local to Broadwindsor and have ever been curious about bellringing, this is a great chance to come along, see what it’s all about—and even have a go! All you need is the ability to listen and some enthusiasm!

08/05/2025

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1848816

What an honour to ring out all 10 bells along with so many other towers this evening.

Call Changes rung at Beaminster (St Mary of the Annunciation), Dorset

06/05/2025

We will be ringing out proudly on Thursday 8th May to celebrate VE Day.
Ringing will start at 6:15pm until 7pm and we should have all 10 bells ringing over the town.

A few of us will also be supporting our neighbours in Broadwindsor by ringing their lovely bells from 5pm.

09/03/2025

One of our ringers, Tony, will be tolling a single bell just after the national minute silence at midday marking Covid Reflection Day.

29/11/2024

Beaminster features as the Salisbury Diocesan Guild’s “Tower of the Month” this month, and the article written by our friend Jack Pease is full of information!

Have a look here…

For this month’s tower in focus, we visit Beaminster, in the northwest corner of Dorset. This is a land of steep hills, chocolate-box villages, and unspoilt medieval churches. Beaminster, situated in a bowl-shaped valley, has existed since at least the 7th century, when it was known as Bebingmynst...

07/09/2024

What a treat this morning.
Congratulations to the band! If you did record any of this wonderful performance, please do share in the comments!

5040 Spliced Surprise Royal (3m) rung at Beaminster (St Mary of the Annunciation), Dorset

02/09/2024

Keep your ears “pealed” this Saturday morning!

We have a visiting band of ringers from across the wider local-ish area (including Exeter Cathedral and Wimborne Minster) attempting a full peal on the bells, starting at 10am. They will be ringing Spliced Surprise Royal, consisting of the methods Bristol, Cambridge and Yorkshire.

A peal lasts around 3 hours and consists of at least 5000 different, consecutive changes. Some see them as the pinnacle of change ringing… others as a strange way to spend a morning.
‘Royal’ is a term used when 10 bells are all working, so there will not be the familiar d**g of the tenor at the end of the row, as it will be doing the same thing as all the lighter bells- at a ton in weight it isn’t the easiest task!
Surprise methods are a little tricky to explain and very complex, attached is a photo of one lead of Bristol Surprise Royal. (A lead is from where the treble {1, the lightest bell in the red line} starts the row, works its way up to the back/end of the row then works its way down to the front again)

Good luck to the band!

19/08/2024

If you’re lucky enough to hear the bells ringing this afternoon, it’s a visiting band from the Cambridge University Society of Change Ringers- and they sound excellent!

31/07/2024

A fantastic day out for us today, some great ringing from our own ringers and ringing friends from across the area who joined us. We’re all looking forward to next year’s trip already!

There was also a successful quarter peal in Beaminster this evening of Plain Bob Minor, we rang the front 6 (lighter bells!) because it was just so hot!

1260 Plain Bob Minor rung at Beaminster (St Mary of the Annunciation), Dorset

29/07/2024

We’re off on adventure this Wednesday, as it’s our annual Tower Outing!
Calling at Cerne Abbas, Piddlehinton, Stratton and Burton Bradstock, we’re looking forward to a great day out.

There will be no practice night in the evening, but a quarter peal attempt on either the front or back 6 depending on the heat!

23/06/2024

We’re going to be a little quiet this week, as the Festival takes place, we ring elsewhere and this year will be heading to Symondsbury for our practice night on Wednesday instead!

The clock hammers are also lifted off so there will be no chimes this week either.

But don’t fret! There will be a little ringing after the Festival’s book launch event in the church on Friday afternoon!

04/06/2024

We will be ringing on Thursday evening, 6th June to join the national ringing commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings.

Hopefully we’ll have all 10 bells up and ringing, so fingers crossed for a favourable wind so you can hear us!