Helping to Keep the Bells of Wells Ringing...
26th October 2026
For hundreds of years, the bells of St Cuthbert’s Church have rung out across Wells, marking services, weddings, funerals and special occasions. They are one of the city’s most recognisable sounds, and a tradition many people have grown up with without ever thinking about what it takes to keep them ringing.
Behind the scenes, the picture is more difficult. The bells are hard to ring, which makes life tough for the youngest and oldest members of the ringing community, and puts off new recruits at a time when bellringing needs them most. To tackle this, the Wells Amateur Bellringing Society has launched the Wells Bells Project, a fundraising project to restore and retune the existing bells, renew their frame and add two lighter bells to create a ring of ten. The aim is to make ringing easier to learn and enjoy, help experienced ringers keep taking part, and protect this part of Wells’ heritage for the next century.
That is where Lawrences Auctioneers hopes to help. On Thursday 26th November, our specialists will be at St Cuthbert’s Church, the largest parish church in Somerset, for a special valuation day in support of the project.
The idea is simple. Anyone is welcome to bring along an antique, a piece of jewellery, a collectable or simply something they have always wondered about, and have it looked at by the Lawrences team. There is no fixed charge and no need to book. Instead, visitors are invited to make a donation to the Wells Bells Project in return.
You don’t need to be an antiques enthusiast to take part. Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the things we have lived with for years, the ornament on the mantelpiece, the inherited piece tucked away in a drawer, or the object that has simply always been there. A valuation day is a chance to find out what it is, where it came from and what it might be worth, while helping to keep a much-loved local tradition alive.
Lawrences Auctioneers is inviting everyone in and around Wells to come along, bring their treasures and be part of it.
Valuation Day: St Cuthbert’s Church, St Cuthberts Street, Wells, Somerset BA5 2AW | Thursday 26th November | 10am-1pm | Valuations for a donation | No booking required.
If you would like to know more about the Wells Bells Project, visit wellsbellsproject.com
