Bells at St. Mary Magdalene, Woodstock
St. Mary Magdalene has a peal of eight bells dating back to the early 18th century with an enthusiastic team of ringers led by the Tower Captain. Bell ringing practice takes place on Thursday evenings. Anyone interested in joining the team either as an experienced ringer or a beginner should contact the Tower Captain via the church office. The bells are rung weekly before the 11am Parish Eucharist and also to mark special occasions and events.
Visiting groups often come to ring our bells and any group wishing to enquire about doing so should make initial enquiries via stmmwoodstock@gmail.com
More details about the individual bells and their specifications are available in Dove’s guide https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/11202 where a list of the peals rung can also be found.
The bells being rung for services serves as a reminder to the town of Woodstock that the church is central within the life of the community.
The clock at St Mary Magdalene is also very much considered the town clock and is no ordinary clock but a carillon – a musical clock. At 9am, 1pm, 5pm and 9pm it plays a tune – a different tune for each day of the week.