OUS Towers

Our home tower is St Mary Magdalen, and we also ring at St Thomas and St Ebbe's for Sunday ringing plus the odd stint at New College and SMV - we only ring during term time. See the map from the left hand menu.

St Mary Magdalen (Mary Mag) Tuesday 7.30pm
Learners' Practices Wednesday 6.30pm
St Thomas the Martyr (St Thos) Alternate Mondays 7.30pm
St Cross No practice
St Mary the Virgin (SMV) No practice
New College No practice


St Mary Magdalen

mm

"Mary Mag" is our home tower. They are a lovely 7cwt ten (augmented in 2002), which can be rung very well and very fast if the band is on form. During term time we ring a quarter peal at 630, followed by a practice every Tuesday at 7.30pm until 9pm - get there before 8pm, though, as we have to close the doors. We also have learners' practices on Wednesdays at 6.30-7.30pm, and service ringing Sunday mornings at 10-10.30am. Out of term, the OS ring at Mary Mag for Sunday morning service, and ring peals on Tuesday evenings. Mary Mag is to be found where Cornmarket Street meets St Giles, just opposite Debenhams.


St Thomas

stthos

"St. Thos" has an excellent ring of ten (11 cwt), easy both to hear and to handle. The ring was completed in 1993 from a heavy-going ring of six. During term time we alternate between a peal attempt (odd weeks) and an OUS practice on Monday evenings at 7.30pm. We also ring a quarter peal on Saturdays before the 5.30pm service. Out of term, the OS rings peals on Monday evenings, and occasionally rings after Sunday service, at 11.30am.

 

St Mary The Virgin

smv

SMV is a fine 27cwt ring of six. Recently restored and placed on ball bearing they are far easier to ring than previously. The back bells can be hard work, and there is a constant danger of tourists walking through the rope circle, but they are definitely worth it. We ring there on alternate Sunday evenings during term at 5pm, and on May Morning, and they are also rung for special occasions by the OS. SMV is on the High Street, next to the Radcliffe Camera.

More details of the restoration work are available here.


New College

New College

This 20cwt ring of ten is rung on alternate Sundays at 7.30pm, but poses quite a challenge. Rather in need of some serious maintenance work (a complete recast/rehang?), they are out-of-tune and very odd-struck. Although they can be rewarding when the ringing is good, they are both hard work for the ringers and painful for the people nearby, being very loud.


St Cross

stx

St Cross is a 10cwt ground floor ring of six, which we went to practice on occasionally.

The church is to be found, predictably, on St Cross Road, which follows on from Longwall Street (off the High Street).

The church has now been closed and so there is no ringing - please click here for more details.