Plain Bob Major at Sunbury on Thames, Surrey

An excerpt from a quarter peal of Plain Bob Major rung at Sunbury on Thames on Saturday, 29th March 2025.

St Mary’s Church, Sunbury on Thames, has a peal of eight bells, all cast in 1901 by John Taylor and Co. These bells have a fantastic vintage tone and are a hidden gem. From the moment we started ringing, I was taken by the deep boom and hum they produce. They’re a real treat, especially since there aren’t many Taylor rings around this area that sound as good as these. If you're nearby, I highly recommend trying them out.

The bells ring beautifully, but they can be a bit tricky to handle, mainly because they are set quite deep. All the bells, except the tenor, ring well, but the tenor is a bit more challenging. Its rope is longer than the others, so you have to anticipate how much tail end you need. If you take in too much rope, the bell tends to drop, and if you don’t take in enough, the bell rings slowly, which isn’t ideal.


The church was rebuilt in 1752 to replace an earlier medieval building. It was designed by Stephen Wright, who was Clerk of Works at Hampton Court Palace. In 1857, the church underwent extensive remodelling by architect Samuel Sanders Teulon, which included the addition of a tall apsidal chancel, a south chapel, and western aisle extensions. A porch was added in 1871.

In 1900, a choir vestry was added to the north, and in the 1950s, the interior was extensively remodelled. Only Teulon’s chancel and chancel chapels remain intact today. Further changes were made in 1972, including the removal of Teulon’s porch, the extension of the gallery, and the replacement of pews and the pulpit. The gallery’s iron railings were salvaged from the old Teulon gallery, and the octagonal room under the tower was turned into the entrance porch. A plaque over the doorway commemorates the recasting of six bells and the addition of two more in 1901.

Inside the church, the chancel is decorated with Sgraffito work illustrating the gospels, painted by Heywood Sumner in 1892. There are also Salviati mosaics, and the pillars are carved with foliage representing the seasons. The angels added between 1892 and 1900 and the apse wall’s painting of Seraphims and Christ the King, by local artist George Ostreham, add to the church’s beautiful atmosphere. The altar rails were donated in 1949.

The churchyard is home to a yew tree, likely dating from the time the new church was completed.

The north chapel, or Baptistry, contains several memorials, including those for Francis Phelps (1679), John Phelps (1680), William Dyer and his wife (1737, 1744), and Lady Jane Coke (died 1761). The triptych dates from 1952. To the left is a memorial for John Fish (died 1813), Lord of the Manor of Kempton. The south memorial chapel includes the war memorial and a carved Caen stone reredos. The organ, built by T C Lewis around 1890, is located in the west gallery and was renovated in 1960 when it was moved from the Baptistry.

Tenor 14-2-4 in F#

https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/14749

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