Portsmouth Union of Bellringing Students

PUBS (Portsmouth Union of Bellringing Students) is a friendly and fun university society actively involved in all three churches in the city of Portsmouth and the rest of the district.

We attend the Portsmouth Cathedral practices on Thursday nights from 19:30 – 21:00 and always go to the pub after! While the word ‘cathedral’ sounds scary, they are a welcoming bunch who cater for all abilities. We also ring at Portsea once a month on the second Tuesday and regularly organise practice nights at the city’s newest tower, St Agatha’s. Our recent members range from complete beginners through to Surprise Maximus ringers.

We all look forward to our annual dinner, held in January, where our members (both current and alumni) have the opportunity to attempt a peal on one of the city’s rings of bells, tour some of the towers in the district, catch up on old times and make new memories!

We always look forward to meeting new members! Contact if you have any questions or would like to join us at one of our practices.

Portsmouth Cathedral: West End - Portsmouth University Bell Ringing Society

The Winchester and Portsmouth Guild is an active Guild representing Bell ringers across Hampshire, The Isle of Wight, and the Channel Islands.

Many towers in this Guild offer training to new recruits, although some have a waiting list. Every ring of bells is different – heavier bells may require learners to be at least 10 or 12, but some bands take learners of primary school age. Training varies from informal 1-1 lessons to more structured schemes – some towers use the recently-introduced “Learning the Ropes” scheme, some have devised their own scheme to suit their bells and their ringers. You should be able to find a tower that suits you!

The Portsmouth District is one of the 8 districts that make up the Winchester and Portsmouth Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers and spans an arc from Netley in the West to Havant in the East and goes as far North as Upham.

Visitors to the Portsmouth District will find a group of friendly ringers, a wide variety of towers from light sixes to the twelve at Portsmouth Cathedral and practice nights from Monday to Friday.

Portsmouth Cathedral (12 bells, 25-2-0): Sunday service ringing is from 09:45 until 10:30 and practices are held each Thursday from 19:30 when we meet outside the north door of the Cathedral.

Portsea (8 bells, 17-0-7) – Portsmouth, S Mary: 2nd Tues of the month 19:30 to 21.00.