Tower captain: Rosalie Gibson

Practice night: Monday 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Sunday ringing: 8:30 – 9:00am

Toilet facilities: Yes

Church website: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/322/

Address: Church Rd, Thame OX9 3AJ, United Kingdom

Practice night normal repertoire: Rounds & Call Changes, Plain Hunt, Plain Bob Doubles, Grandsire Doubles, Cloisters.

St Mary’s has had bells ever since the present building was constructed around 1240 and is one of the potential locations where it was claimed a bell rang without mortal aid on the death of Bishop Grosseteste in 1253. An inventory made in 1448 shows the church then had a ring of five bells with a Tenor of 28 cwt and a total weight of 87¾ cwt. The estimated Treble weight being 10cwt which is not far from the weight of todays Tenor. At this time a Sanctus Bell also hung in the steeple, most likely the same one hanging there today, and the church also possessed a number of hand bells four of which were listed “for the use of dead people” as they were used in funeral processions.  Over the next hundred years the accounts contain many entries for the Tower bells covering repair and replacement of frames, headstocks, ropes and clappers and also show several of these bells were recast, not always successfully. During the following three years however both the Tenor and 4^th were broken up and sold for scrap along with the church plate, a common occurrence during the reign of Edward VI. In 1627 the remaining bells were exchanged with the Reading Foundry for a ready made 17½ cwt set of six although the Tenor had to be recast in 1664. A large number of local towers seem to have recast their bells at this time so perhaps the original Thame metal is still ringing out in the Diocese? By 1876 two of these bells had cracks and all were sent to London to be melted down into the current set of eight bells. At that time the Tenor weighed 13cwt, but by 1881 they were considered too badly hung to ring and were lowered to the ringing chamber floor. In 1884 a new frame was constructed which is still in use today. Towards the end of the 20^th century the bells had become increasingly difficult to ring and in 1991 they were sent to Taylors where their canons and crown staples were removed, new clappers fitted and the bells tuned. They also received new headstocks, bearings, wheels, stays, sliders, pulleys and ropes. In 1997 the main cause of the ringing difficulties was addressed when new steal grillage was installed to support and secure the frame and further tuning was undertaken at Whitechapel. At that time the bells were all given names from the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5 22-25) and are Treble-Love, 2-Joy, 3-Peace, 4-Patience, 5-Gentleness, 6-Faithfulness, 7-Humility and Tenor-Forbearance.