The peal of eight bells was cast by the London firm of Mears and Stainbank and raised in 1904 when Christ Church was opened.

The heaviest bell, known as the tenor and depicted above, weighs nearly three-quarters of a ton and is tuned to the key of F.

The bells were removed from the tower in 1951 on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of William Hesketh Lever when they were tuned and rehung with new fittings.

For more detailed descriptions, in tabular form, of all the bells, including weights, diameters, notes and text of the inscriptions, click Port Sunlight Bells.

At the time of the opening of the church, ringers had been recruited from local towers and a Mr Edwin Breeze was appointed (a paid position in those days!) as Conductor.

It is not surprising that in that period of history, formal rules were drawn up for the ringers - in fact this had been the practice for a number of centuries - and the original Belfry Rules can still be seen in the Ringing Chamber.

In the somewhat less strict social environment of the early twenty-first century, such rules are no longer considered necessary. However, the original rules do serve as a useful reminder of the rôle and duties of the ringers of today who, unlike their predecessors, now include much younger ringers, including those of the "weaker" gender!

To this end, the installation at Christ Church of a Simulator in late 2003, provides new opportunities for teaching not only younger ringers by employing modern, computer based technology.

Anyone interested in learning about ringing, especially learning to ring, is asked to contact the tower captain at bells*ccpsurc.info (replacing the * with the usual @ sign).

For even more information about the bells and ringers, please visit the website of the Wirral Branch of the Chester Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers from where you can link, by selecting Port Sunlight from the map, to the Port Sunlight "Home Page" which has links to a variety of sections concerning ringing and Christ Church.