Whether you are an absolute beginner or want to develop your skill at any level, we can help.  To book lessons or find out more, email the centre manager, Lynne Hughes, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We can provide one-to-one teaching, or run sessions for small groups who have learnt the essential handling skills and want to move on to a new stage together.  We can also provide training and practice at advanced levels using a simulator.

Our charges are shown below.

We are open from 2pm to 4pm every weekday, with someone to talk to about ringing, and experiences (see below) which can be booked in advance. Informative display panels will be added soon too.

At 2:15pm there is a 30 minute demonstration showing how bells work and how they are rung, with an explanation of simple change-ringing. This is followed by the opportunity to 'have a go' by booking a 30 minute introductory lesson.  Click here to check availability and make a booking.  To make any real progress will take a lot longer, and a cheaper rate will be available to those who pay in advance for a minimum of three hours of lessons.

During teaching sessions the bells are not audible outside the church.  Ties are put on the clappers to stop the bells ringing.  In the ringing chamber a computer simulated sound can be heard at exactly the right moment when the bell should ring.  If a number of trainees are practising independently at the same time, the sound of an individual bell will be able to be heard through headphones.

Once you can handle a bell safely without a teacher watching and helping all the time, you will be able to move on to group sessions or ringing with the simulator.  With a simulator and headphones there is no limit to the advanced techniques that can be practised.

The Bells of St Clement’s are available to those who want to come in groups to learn or practise.  These might be group visits from another church, with their own experienced ringers to supervise.  If you have come to Cambridge to study, your first port of call should be the Cambridge University Guild, which provides tuition for students of all ages at any of Cambridge’s universities or further education colleges.  Otherwise please contact us by email.

It will be necessary to make a charge for all ringing and tuition to cover the manager’s salary, volunteers’ expenses, the running and maintenance costs of the bells and to make a contribution to the church’s costs.  The charges will be kept as low as reasonably possible and we do not want to discourage anyone who genuinely wants to learn how to ring.  We also want to ensure that the standard of teaching is high as that can greatly affect the time it takes to become proficient and the enjoyment of learning.  Our teachers will be expected to have a qualification from the Association of Ringing Teachers.  We will also be providing less experienced teachers with the opportunity to gain the qualification, but only under the watchful eye of someone who is already qualified.

CHARGES