The sound of ringing church bells is deeply rooted in British culture; almost everyone in Britain lives within ear range of church bells. These bells throughout the ages have provided the grand soundtrack to mark our most historic moments; indeed, they ring out during times of celebration, or toll in empathy to convey our grief.

At St Mary’s we have six bronze bells cast by Rudhall’s of Gloucester. In 1724 these bells were transported by boat along the river Severn to Atcham Bridge before continuing their onward 30 mile journey by horse and wagon to St Mary’s, Acton along unsurfaced and poorly made roads.

We are fortunate to have a very good band of bellringers at St Mary’s, Acton who dedicate their time and skills to continue the tradition of ringing bells for church services, weddings and other important events. A ‘Practice Night’ is held on most Tuesday evenings from 8.00 pm.

If you would like to visit the bell tower or you would like to learn to ring, you will be made very welcome (please contact Carole Sturgess on 01270 623290).

English change ringing, more-or-less as we know it today, began in the seventeenth century with the bells being hung on a frame and rung using a rope around a full wheel, thus enabling better control.  The development of better bell control led to the introduction of change ringing and the hundreds of methods that are known today in which the sequence of bells alters every time they are rung.

Bells are hung in groups of up to twelve bells (as at Liverpool Cathedral) but are more commonly hung in groups of eight (as at Nantwich and Bartholmley) or six (like Acton and Wrenbury).

Bells are rung to call people to prayer and to celebrate marriages or funerals, when the ringing of a bell at a funeral was said to keep the devil from the deceased’s soul. They are also rung at times of national celebration and have been rung for Jubilees, Coronations, the turning of the Millennium, the Olympic Games in London and the end of the Second World War. The Olympic Bell, cast for the London Olympic Games, is the largest harmonically tuned bell in the world. For such national occasions ringing is coordinated across the country at a specific time.

Acton Church Tower has a lovely set of six bells although there hasn’t always been six. The tower originally contained five bells hung on a substantial metal and timber frame on the floor level with the louvres in the tower. The five bells date from 1604 to 1633 but a sixth was added in 1724. In 1757 a dramatic storm on 15th March caused the top of the tower to fall through the church roof. Following this the tower was remodelled some six metres lower than it had been originally and required substantial rebuilding of the nave. In 1759, after the storm damage to the tower and church was repaired, the bells were re-hung.

Two of the bells were repaired in Gloucester in 1773 and, just over a century later, the bells were re-tuned and re-hung in 1894.

Ringers at Acton Church also rang the bells for the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Students from Acton C of E Primary School have had the opportunity to visit Acton Church tower and experience aspects of Church Bell Ringing with their teacher, who is a bell ringer and other experienced ringers, who showed them the ropes.

Acton Church only has a small band of ringers, both men and women, for whom Acton is their Home Tower.  However they are supported by ringers from other towers at their practice sessions on Tuesday evenings.

Chris Owen-Roberts 10th June 2022

Updated 24 November 2025