Bell Ringing

1828

St Peter’s opens with two treble bells borrowed from St Nicholas’ Church, then the parish church, and a third bell, a tenor, cast by George Mears of Whitechapel, London, that weighs 26.75 cwt (1359 kg).

1882

The two trebles return to St Nicholas’ Church. The tenor is melted down and incorporated into a ring of eight bells cast by John Warner & Sons of Cripplegate, London. The tenor bell weighs 10.5 cwt. The new ring is funded by a variety of donors.

1885

Sussex County Association of Change Ringers (SCACR) is founded by George Attree, a bellringer at St Peter’s and the association's first secretary.

1914

Mears & Stainbank of Whitechapel cast a new ring of 10 bells hung on two levels below the older frame, with the tenor weighing 25.5 cwt (1295 kg).

1920

John Thornton Rickman, who funded the new ring of bells, becomes master of SCACR.

2024

To-date, around 230 peals have been rung on the current ring of 10 bells.

Sources: https://thebellsofsussex.weebly.com/brighton-st-peter.html; https://www.scacr.org/about-us/history/brief-history

Other key areas

Bells
Bells

From the installation of a first ring of bells at St Peter's two hundred years ago, the sound of the church bells has been a familiar one in our city, until recently announcing services, weddings, baptisms, memorials and civic events.

Bernard North
Bernard North

Bernard tells us what it was like to be a young bellringer at St Peter's in the late 1950s and early sixties, and how that experience has continued to shape his life.

Restoration Works
Restoration Works

The expert restoration of such an architecturally significant building constructed more than two centuries ago using the latest techniques in their day, is ongoing and painstaking work. It would not be possible without the financial support of the congregation and our donors, for which we are hugely grateful.