The church dates from the 14^th century when the parish was formed from lands belonging to St Albans Abbey.

Prior to 1998 the tower contained a ring of three bells. A tablet in the nave records  a 'Compleat Peal of 120 changes' rung in 1777, a feat repeated for the Queen's jubilee year in 1977.
The tenor bell dates from 1613 and was cast at the Whitechapel bell foundry  by William Carter. The connection with the bell

foundry was renewed 385 years later when two bells were cast and a redundant bell located by the Keltek Trust was tuned to augment the bells to a ring of six. The tenor bell has been left un-tuned so as not to change its tonal characteristics and its weight is just over 11cwt.

This light ring of three has been re-hung in a new six-bell frame and augmented to six using two bells acquired by the Trust. The 2^nd bell of the "old" three is of poor tone and has been replaced by an ex-Trinity House buoy bell donated by the Trust. The project was completed during 2003.

A new ring of twelve bells has been cast to replace the existing ring. The back eight of the pre-2010 ring are being retained as chiming bells and the four Mears & Stainbank trebles cast in 1935 are being relocated. The treble bell will be retained in the city; the second is on offer to a church in Suffolk to augment from five to six and the 3^rd & 4^th bells have been sold to Corby Glen, Lincolnshire to augment the ring to six bells.