An Historic Tower
The tower at St Peter Mancroft is one of the most historic ringing towers in the country. The first ever recorded peal was rung here in 1715 along with many other notable 'firsts'. The tower has a ring of 14 bells.
It is suggested that St Peter Mancroft would have had five bells soon after the tower was completed c.1510. Work on the tower had probably begun in the 1390s and by c.1431 the building had reached a stage where a bell could be hung. In 1602 a treble was added to the five bells, with the new bell being cast by William Brend.
By 1652 there was also a Sanctus bell. In 1672-6 the ring was augmented to eight. In 1724 the bells were again augmented to ten, with the two trebles being cast by John Stephens. Stephens appears to have carried out the work speculatively, but the expected subscriptions for the payment of the new bells never materialised and they were removed from the tower before October of the same year, only months after being installed.
The Tower
To commemorate the 300th anniversary of the first peal and to enhance the ringing at St Peter Mancroft, major changes within the tower were completed in 2018 with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Discovery Centre (MRDC)
This is an exciting new facility, one of only three in the world. It offers bell ringers from the complete novice to accomplished ringers the opportunity to learn and improve their skills.
The Guild of Ringers
The St Peter Mancroft Guild of Ringers is a voluntary guild whose members are elected by other members. The Guild, which is affiliated to both the church and the Norwich Diocesan Association of Ringers, is over a hundred years old.