By the Alveston and Olveston Bellringing Group
A Revived Tradition in the Heart of the Community
If you’ve recently heard church bells ringing more often across Alveston and Olveston, you’re not imagining things—it’s the joyful sound of a tradition being rekindled.
Since our open evening in April 2024, the Alveston and Olveston Bellringing Group has been steadily growing. We now meet for regular Thursday evening practices, with ringers coming together from both St Helen’s (Alveston) and St Mary’s (Olveston) churches.
St Helen’s has six bells, and St Mary’s has eight. Combining the two groups has made it easier to maintain a strong, active band of ringers.
Who We Are
To ring even the simplest pattern, known as Rounds—a descending sequence from the lightest bell (Treble) to the heaviest (Tenor)—you need at least six people.
While St Mary’s Olveston has had an established Tower Captain, Philip Coward, it hadn’t had a regular band in some time. At St Helen’s Alveston, we’ve recently appointed Stephen Channon as Tower Captain and Lawrence Roberts as Steeple Keeper to lead ringing and care for the tower.
From Beginners to Bellringers
Our group began as a mix of complete beginners and returning ringers. We’re now twelve strong—including our vicar, Rev. David Moss—and making great progress.
Most of our early practices took place at St Mary’s, where the bells are more forgiving for learners. But recently, thanks to the dedication and skill of the team, we’ve been ringing regularly at St Helen’s, where the bells are more challenging and require a confident band.
Ringing for Services and Special Events
We’ve now begun ringing for weddings and significant church services. A recent highlight was our first Sunday Service ringing on Easter Sunday at St Mary’s Olveston—a wonderful milestone for the group.
There’s also ongoing work behind the scenes at St Helen’s bell tower, where roof repairs and improvements to the bell chamber are in the pipeline. We’ll share updates on this exciting project soon.
Come and Join Us!
We’re enjoying not just the sound of the bells, but also the sense of camaraderie, challenge, and joy that comes with ringing. Whether you’re an experienced bellringer or just curious to try something new, we’d love to welcome you.
📩 Interested? Get in touch: Email us at revsrural@gmail.com
Keep listening—you just might hear history ringing out across our villages