There are few sounds that feel quite as at home in an English village at Christmas as church bells.
On Saturday 12th December 2026, bellringers from the Daventry Branch of the Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers will gather at Holy Cross Church in Byfield for an afternoon of ringing, followed by a Christmas carol service.
The ringing begins at 3.30pm, making this a particularly traditional way to spend a December afternoon in one of the villages between Daventry and Woodford Halse.
Event Details
Date: Saturday 12th December 2026
Time: From 3.30pm
Venue: Holy Cross Church, Byfield
Postcode: NN11 6XN
Organiser: Daventry Branch, Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Programme: Bell ringing followed by a carol service
The exact start time of the carol service has not been published separately, so visitors should treat 3.30pm as the start of the afternoon’s programme.
The bells of Holy Cross, Byfield
Holy Cross Church has a ring of eight bells, with the heaviest, or tenor, weighing a little over 12 cwt.
The tower forms part of the Daventry Branch of the Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers, which brings together ringers from churches across the wider Daventry area.
Branch gatherings provide an opportunity for ringers from different towers to meet, practise and ring together, rather than each village band working entirely on its own.
An afternoon of traditional bell ringing
The event begins with ringing at 3.30pm.
For anyone unfamiliar with church bell ringing, what you hear from outside is the result of a remarkable amount of teamwork inside the tower.
English full-circle ringing involves each bell being swung through a complete circle, with the ringers working together to create changing mathematical sequences rather than simply playing a familiar melody.
It is a tradition that has been part of church and village life for centuries.
Followed by a Christmas carol service
Once the ringing has finished, the afternoon continues with a Christmas carol service inside Holy Cross.
The Guild has not published a separate start time for the service, so anyone particularly keen to attend should arrive for the 3.30pm start or check with the branch closer to the date.
Previous Daventry Branch Christmas gatherings at Byfield have combined ringing with seasonal refreshments and a carol service, making it as much a social occasion for local ringers as a musical one.
Interested in bell ringing?
You certainly do not need to understand all the terminology to appreciate hearing a church’s bells properly rung.
The Daventry Branch describes its meetings as friendly gatherings and welcomes people who are interested in finding out more about bell ringing.
The branch covers towers across the area, including places such as Byfield, Badby, Braunston, Daventry, Barby and Kilsby.
For somebody living around Byfield, Woodford Halse or the surrounding villages who has ever wondered what actually happens inside a bell tower, this could be a good introduction.
Where is Holy Cross Church?
The event takes place at:
Holy Cross Church
Byfield
Northamptonshire
NN11 6XN
The Peterborough Diocesan Guild records the church as having eight bells and lists Friday as Byfield’s usual practice night.
Discover more local events
Some of the most distinctive events around Daventry and Woodford Halse are found in the surrounding villages.
From church bells and carol services to Christmas markets, village gatherings and live music, we enjoy sharing the dates that give each place its own character.
Keep an eye on the Campbells community events pages for more local events throughout the year.
