OS: SE301553
Harrogate, St Peter
The Church of the St Peter, Harrogate is a large church in the centre of this spa town where Cambridge St meets Cambridge Rd. During the day there is no free parking that I could find but there is parking on nearby streets as well are a couple of car parks.
Being positioned right in the centre of Harrogate there is no churchyard. The ringing room is reached by climbing a stone spiral staircase of 35 steps to an ante-room followed by a two stage set of 20 wooden steps. The entrance to the staircase inside the body of the church in the northwest corner of the tower. The ringing room is a large space with plenty of seating for those not ringing the 8 bells. There are two low windows on each face of the tower with window seats.
2011-04-08 [ expand ]
My first visit was on Friday 8th April 2011 to join their weekly practice. The practice runs for two hours with a tea break in the middle. I started by ringing up bell #7 followed by a 200 change touch of Plain Bob Doubles. We rang rounds for some of their learners a couple of times as well as several plain courses of Stedman Doubles. I rang the treble for a touch of Kent Minor and bell #6 for a bob course of Plain Bob Triples. By the end of the evening I had rang all 8 bells and all rang nicely. This was also my first time ringing with blind ringers, very impressive they were too. Everyone was very pleasant and I was made very welcome, a really varied and enjoyable nights ringing!
The Bells
The tower has a ring of 8 bells with a tenor weighing 12-1-19 in F♯. Dove's Guide includes details of the bells at St Peter and more information is provided by the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers.
