Learning to Ring
If you would like to learn to ring, or would like to explore the possibility – or you may be wondering if you are suitable, what the commitment is and would like to explore the possibility – then please contact a tower near you. If you live in or close to the Salisbury Diocese then the ‘Find a Tower‘ page should help you find a nearby tower.
Further Development
As you progress you may like to join in branch activities. It can be very beneficial to your learning to meet and ring with ringers from other towers and you can take advantage of training that might not be available in your tower. Branches have regular practices for ringers of all levels and you will be given a warm welcome at all branch events.
Each branch has a training officer to help you who you can contact through the Branch page.
Branches often put on special training events for different levels. Check the Branch calendar and bear in mind that some courses get filled up quickly so make sure you are on your branch mailing list so you receive early notification by email.
Training Committee
The Guild has a Training Committee made up of branch representatives, chaired by the Guild Training Officer which arranges further training to supplement the training given in our towers and branches.
If you have any problems or queries about training in the Guild please contact the Guild Training Officer who will try to help.
Steeple Keeping Course 11 July 2026
Despite it being a very warm day, our Guild Steeple Keeping Course was successfully held on Saturday 11 July 2026 tutored by David Godwin (Guild Belfry Advisor) and Chris Bush (DAC Bells Advisor). The morning session was held at Edington Priory Church (metal installation) with the afternoon at Potterne (wooden installation). This course is designed to provide Steeple Keepers with
Introducing our new Guild Training Officer, Julia Russell
Julia Russell was elected as the Guild Training Officer at the recent Guild AGM and is looking forward to making a contribution to the development of ringing within the diocese. She (and her daughter Sophie) learnt to ring in 2009 at their home tower of West Lavington in the Devizes Branch. Julia took over as Tower Captain at West Lavington
Odd-struck bells and how to ring them better
As we develop as bell ringers we may often hear more refined and experienced ringers talk about a bell being “odd-struck”. They may offer us advice such as, “you need to pull that one in at handstroke” or “keep off at backstroke”. This advice, though well meaning, can be bewildering for a developing ringer. So what is odd-struckness? An odd-struck
Learning from online videos
There is a quite remarkable video recording on YouTube of a band from Birmingham ringing Stedman Triples while blindfolded.
Spending 10 minutes listening to this and reflecting on the lessons we can learn from it will pay dividends on our own skill levels.
An Afternoon of Ups and Downs
Two very successful courses in Raising and Lowering in Peal during March have seen, in all, 8 students spending a whole afternoon being put through their paces. Each course had 4 students with 5 or 6 experts who patiently rang up and down and also stood behind giving advice. Starting with the basics of chiming and coil making, the course
Giving Ringers a Sound Start
Although this event is now passed, this article contains so many fine ideas about this initiative that it will make inspirational reading for anyone who is interested in recruitment and development of new ringers. Bell ringing was always on my bucket list. Ironically, neither of the two churches where I spent most of my childhood, South Wraxall and West Overton,
