“Noisiest of the unseen servants of the Cathedral, but least heard of, are the ringers.” Thus began a pamphlet entitled ‘Wells Bells’ – an extract from the Friends of Wells Cathedral report from 1971.

Wells Cathedral has the heaviest ring of ten bells in the world. The tenor bell, known as ‘Harewell’, weighs 56¼ cwt and is the fifth heaviest ringing bell in the world following the tenors of the rings of twelve at Liverpool Cathedral (82cwt), Exeter Cathedral (72½ cwt), St. Paul’s, London (62 cwt) and York Minster (59¼ cwt). The ring is in the key of C. All the ringable bells are housed in the southwest, or Harewell Tower to which the bells have been moved in stages.

Three millenium chiming bells (“Faith”, “Hope” and “Charity”) hang in the north-west tower and are used as service bells and to ring the midday Angelus.

Six clock bells also exist that chime the quarters and hours – these are controlled by one of the oldest medieval clocks in the North Transept above the Virgers’ office. Although the current third mechanism is victorian (Gillett and Johnston, 1887), the original mechanism still works and is now in the science museum. The second 1830’s mechanism was not large enough to operate six clock bells as well as two clock faces and is now at Burnham church. The hour bell is at the top of the central tower, while two bells kicked by knights chime the quarters outside near the north porch that faces the medieval Vicars’ hall and chapter houses. Three further small bells chime the quarters and hours inside, operated by Jack Blandiver next to the medieval clock face in the north transept. The local pub “The Quarter Jack” in Wells is named after him.

Bells appear to have originally been hung in the lantern, i.e. the central portion of the central tower roof, soon after it was built (c 1215 – 1220). The first record of bells in Wells Cathedral was in 1226 when Bishop Jocelin asked for bell ropes to be purchased for the Cathedral. At the time, the Bishop lived on south side of the cathedral in the newly built Bishop’s Palace and the Canons on north side (as they do now). Bells were therefore used to call the Canons to meetings at St Mary’s Chapel in the Camery Gardens. The lsntern is frequently referred to as the ‘Belfry’ from 1297 onwards, at a time when it rose no higher than the level of the main roof.

A sacristan was soon employed for knolling the bells during prayers and Masses for the dead that became an important part of the Cathedral’s work in the chantry chapels.  The income from these bequests was an important part of the Cathedral’s income until the reformation.

Work on raising the central tower began in about 1315, and it was roofed in 1322 – almost certainly with a lead-covered spire destroyed by fire in 1438. By 1338 the sinking of the foundations on the West side caused it to crack and the bells Peter, Dunston, Bytton and ‘the small bell’ were transferred to a temporary bell-tower ‘near the Deanery’. This may have been the base of the Northwest tower, or in a wooden bell-cage on the green. The latter seems more likely since repairs were later necessary to the wooden ladder on the ‘old Northern bell-tower’. Since the Western towers have good stone stairs there would not appear to be any need for wooden ladders.

During his lifetime, Bishop Harewell gave two-thirds of the cost of the Southwest tower. He also gave two bells, the new tenor, known as Great Harewell, and another called Little Harewell. In 1414-5 all six bells were hung or rehung in the South-West tower.

The Cathedral bells are based on a set of eight cast by Abel Rudhall in 1757. The bells were augmented to ten in 1891 by the addition of two Whitechapel trebles and installed in a new iron framework by Blackbourne and Greenleaf of Salisbury.

The successful addition of a new rope guide for the front 6 bells and new decor in December 2016 is the latest work to be completed in the tower.

Points of interest in the ringing chamber are:

• 10 holes in the ceiling (behind 7th and 8th bells) also lining up with similar holes in the floor allowed tunes to be chimed on the bells from another chamber lower in the tower. These ropes have not been fitted in living memory.
• Two holes below 4th and 5th bells that allowed these bells to be chimed from the ground floor for midweek services when the other bells were not rung. This chiming became redundent when Faith, Hope and Charity were installed at the end of the 20th century (apart from a short period when the chiming mechanism of these bells broke).
• Speaking tubes (plus matching whistles) to allow communication between the ringing chamber and the belfry and also between the ringing chamber and tower entrance. These are now not used. Communication with the tower entrance is instead via a buzzer and associated intercom.

Dove’s Guide for Church Bellringers gives details of each of the bells (opens in a new window)

The ringers at Wells Cathedral are affiliated to the Glaston Branch of the Bath and Wells Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers

Find Wells Cathedral (opens in a new window)

Enter Wells Cathedral web site (opens in a new window)