Bell ringing at St Leonard's, Flamstead

Bell Ringers in the 1950's.

The sound of bells ringing is deeply rooted in British culture. Almost everyone in Britain lives within the sound of a bell tower. Bells have provided the soundtrack to our historic moments. They called us out for our celebrations, or tolled sadly in empathy with our grief. They call us to wake, to pray, to work, to arms, to feast and, in times of crisis, to come together. You can find more information about our bells in the table at the bottom of this page. Find out more about ringing from the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers website.

St. Leonard’s Church formed a new band of ringers in 2016, which meets together every Wednesday from 7.30 to 9pm. It's a sociable group with members aged from 16 upwards. New members are always welcome to come along and learn the ropes!  Please contact the Vicar (details here), or our Tower Secretary, Rachel, on 07811 864722.

The band also plays a full part in the life of the Hertforshire County Association of Change Ringers, of which it is a part of the Western District. In common with other towers, St Leonard's warmly welcomes ringers from elsewhere to join the band when they are in the area.

A single bell tolls shortly before all services at St Leonard's and St John's. For change ringers, practice night at St Leonard's is Wednesday, from 7.30-9.00pm. We gather at 10.25am on Sunday to ring for the 11am service. When there is a 6pm evening service at St Leonard's, we generally gather at 5.25pm, but please contact the Secretary to confirm. Our activities can be found on the calendar below.

The Bells