Welcome to the bellringing society’s homepage.

The Bath University Guild of Gifted and Enthusiastic Ringers (BUGGERs) is a society open to new and experienced ringers alike - we will welcome you whether you have never touched a rope before or can ring Surprise Maximus*!

The society now has its own tower at Bath St. Matthew, Widcombe, where practices are held every Thursday evening during term time from 7:00 until 8:30. The entrance to the tower is through a gate in the wall. If we have enough interest, we also hope to organise a ringing outing or two to different parts of the country.

We are always looking for new recruits, so if you think you might be interested in learning, then e-mail Matthew Skues, and we'll see what we can do.

To find out more about what we do, who we are and where the best places to ring in Bath are, have a look at our page on the Bath Branch Website and our Facebook group.

Why start ringing?

If you’re not sure whether bellringing is for you, here are a few reasons for starting at university:

1. All the lessons are free.

2. You get to ring huge bells, some of which are 300 years old, and clamber around the restricted areas of churches and cathedrals.

3. We're a friendly social bunch, and there's lots of ringing events throughout the year to keep you entertained.

4. Its addictive.

5. Once you've mastered the basics, you can ring just about anywhere in the British Isles. Turn up to a random tower's practice night (there's a list of them here) and you'll be made welcome.

Why ring in Bath?

If you've already learnt to ring, then Bath is a great city as there are plenty of towers offering practices. The three towers most suited for students (if only for their location!) are:

1. Bath Abbey (Monday, 7:30 – 9:00, 10 bells, 33 cwt) - undoubtedly the easiest to find in Bath, although you will need to be prompt as the door is locked shortly after the start of practice. There are 120 steps to the ringing room, but the view is fantastic. The tower captain is Will Willans.

2. St. Mary, Bathwick (Wednesday, 7:30 – 9:00, 10 bells, 18 cwt) - located on the roundabout at the bottom of Bathwick hill. The tower is run by local ringers; the practice has been a favourite for university ringers and continues to be one of the best places to learn some fun methods.* The tower captain is Mike Stubbs.

3. St. Matthew, Widcombe (Thursday, 7:00 – 8:30, 6 bells, 12 cwt) – this is the university tower where practices are run by students, but anyone is welcome to join us. This tower is ideal for people still learning the ropes or wanting to improve their ringing on six.

If this isn't enough, then there's also Sunday ringing at:

1. Bath Abbey (10:00 - 11:00) - the door isn't locked on Sunday mornings, so you don't need to worry as much about being prompt. For those not staying on for the service, Café Nero awaits straight afterwards!

2. Bathwick (09:15 - 10:30) - this is by arrangement only as Bathwick usually ring a quarter peal* for morning service. Quarters for Sunday morning are usually arranged the preceding Wednesday.

After that, it would be great if you join up via the link below. It only costs £4, and will get you FREE lessons at Widcombe and hopefully some cheap ringing trips throughout the year.

* See here to find out what all these words mean.