Bells have been rung at St James’ Church since at least the early Tudor period. We have a ring of eight bells; five date back to 1638, the sixth was added in 1883 and the final two bells were added just before the Accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. The bells were recently refurbished, and a rope guide was installed to make them easier to ring.

 

Over the years, our historic bells have been rung to welcome parishioners to Sunday worship, to celebrate weddings and baptisms and to enable the community to mark significant events and historic anniversaries, such as the late Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilees, the King’s Coronation, and the D-Day Anniversary.

 

Bell ringing is an activity for all ages and is open to everyone in the community, not just churchgoers. We ring every Sunday morning between 10am and 10.30am and meet to practice on Tuesday evenings between 8pm and 9pm. Whether you are an experienced ringer or wish to learn this ancient skill, you are very welcome to join us. Our bell ringers range in age from 16 to 86, and we are always looking to grow our band and learn new things. If you want to join us on a Tuesday it is always a good idea to let us know in advance. Please contact Jonathan Barclay Smith on 07771 811311 or rjbarclaysmith@gmail.com.

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We are fortunate in Bramley not only to have historic bells dating back to the 17th century but also to have a ring of eight, which is relatively unusual in this area. As a result, visitors from other bell towers often ask to ring our bells and the dates of upcoming sessions are listed below.

 

Friday 19th June 2026 – 8pm

Friday 24th July 2026 - 11am

Sunday 26th July 2026 – 12 noon

Thursday 30th July 2026 – 3pm

 

The extra sessions usually last for around 50 minutes and we try to keep these to a minimum. There are more than usual in July as ringers from outside the parish are keen to ring our newly refurbished bells.

 

If you have any questions about the bells do contact us