Oranges and Lemons Service

What you’ll see

The service usually begins at about 1pm and lasts a little over an hour. It opens with the school’s handbell ringers and a performance of the rhyme’s actions, then each class takes a turn with songs, dances and poetry. At the end each child receives an orange and a lemon; weather permitting, the fruit is set out by the church door and handed out by clergy as the children leave. The carillon is traditionally part of the occasion, but the church currently carries a bell-ringing pause notice for restoration; confirm whether the tune will be heard at the next service. Members of the public usually watch from the gallery.

A bit of history

The nursery rhyme names the bells of London churches, and St Clement Danes has long claimed the opening line, although St Clement Eastcheap in the City disputes it. The church’s bells were set to play the tune in the early twentieth century and the children’s service grew up around it. The church was gutted by bombing in the Second World War and later restored as the central church of the Royal Air Force. The church describes the carillon’s customary music, but its restoration notice takes precedence over older daily ringing schedules.

Watching, taking part and tips

The fruit and the performances are for the pupils, so visitors watch quietly from the gallery. Space can be limited, and in 2022 the public was not admitted, so contact the church in advance to check. Confirm admission and the start time before choosing when to arrive. Do not plan a separate visit around old daily bell schedules without checking whether ringing has resumed.

Where to watch

According to Calendar Customs, the children and invited guests fill the nave, and public visitors normally sit in the gallery. So your first step is to ask about admission, before you pick a train or promise the outing to a child. A gallery that felt roomy one year doesn’t mean there’ll be space the next, and an annual custom isn’t automatically a turn-up-and-walk-in event.

When you contact the church, give the size of your group and ask how visitors should arrive, where to sit and whether public places need requesting in advance. Check the photography rules too, as this is a school performance within a service of worship. Once you’re in, stay quiet during the pupils’ contributions and let teachers and clergy steer everyone out at the end. The fruit is for the schoolchildren, so keep the route to the door clear and don’t crowd among the classes for a photo.

Taking part

Don’t make a special trip for the famous tune alone without asking first. The church’s own bells page carries a prominent restoration update saying ringing has been paused while the steeple and bells are worked on, yet lower down it still describes the usual carillon music. The page tells you what normally happens, not whether the mechanism is working today.

Ask the church whether the tune is back and what, if anything, is planned for the next fruit distribution. If the answer’s unclear, decide whether the service alone is worth the journey. There’s still plenty to enjoy in the school’s handbell opening and performances, as Calendar Customs describes them, though they’re no stand-in for the tower bells. And don’t build a tightly timed visit around an old daily ringing schedule; a current reply from the church beats any guidebook’s customary times.

Questions people ask

Where it is

The pin shows the approximate area. Open in OpenStreetMap