The bell installation was renewed in 1932 to a high standard. Three of the bells were 400 years old in 2023 and had survived the collapse of the tower in 1705. These older design bells, although of very good quality of casting, retain their canons (loops on top) for fixing them to the headstocks while the other three bells have flat tops which bolt direct to iron headstocks. In 1932, coping with the new instructions not to remove these canons on bells cast before 1700 had not been perfected and those three bells tended to swing slower than the newer ones and for their clappers to lie on the wrong side of the bell when raised ready for traditional English full-circle ringing. There was also corrosion in one main steel support beam.
St Mary’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) agreed to a scheme to remove the bells, deal with the corrosion and rehang the bells with all new design headstocks, clappers, stays and sliders as recommended by Nicholson Engineering Ltd, specialist bell hangers from Bridport, Dorset.
From the timeline below you will see that work started on site on 16 June 2025. All went well until it became apparent that the bells would not be returning on 1 September 2025 as originally scheduled.
We eventually discovered that was due to sudden unexpected changes in the bellhanger’s workshop staffing and at a main sub-contractor who fabricated the headstocks. There were also some difficulties at the end when new pieces wouldn’t fit and the site bellhanger could not finish the job in the expected timescale.
Project Progress Reports were posted weekly on this website. These have been combined into a single PDF available here, or the original posts can be read starting here (use the arrows at the bottom of each post to move to the next/previous Progress Report).
The contractor had written into his estimates a large reduction for provision of volunteers to assist with the work. The response from the village and bellringers from elsewhere was such that a rota had to be produced so as not to have too many on site!
There were three phases to the work on site.
- Six volunteers helped with the dismantling and removal of the bells in June: Pete Johnson, Steve Brooks, Martin Walton, Anne Prestwick (bellringer from Nether Heyford), Martyn Parratt and Simon Pullin.
- Six helped with the de-rusting and painting of the frame with two coats of corrosion protection and two coats of gloss paint in July: Anne Prestwick, Steve Brooks, Steve Chandler, Michael Thompson, Dale Sutherland and Sue Sutherland (bellringer from Welton).
- When we eventually got notice of the bells returning in March 2026, it was not so hospitable weather, but eleven took part in the reinstallation with the first five doing the bulk of the work: Steve Brooks, Pete Johnson, Martin Walton, James Grennan (bellringer from Byfield), Dale Sutherland, Gary Malloy, Michael Thompson, Anne Prestwick, Chris Malloy, Richard Piner and Martyn Parratt who returned the masonry to the tower doorway.
We are most grateful to these volunteers and to Carole Pullin for providing lunchtime sandwiches throughout!
When the bells did eventually return, one bell was fit to be chimed for service on 8 March 2026 but the village had to wait until 11 March to hear the clock chime again for the first time since noon on 16 June 2025.
The new set of 65ft long ropes proved a bit springy for a few months and did not help in getting used to the new feel of the bells, but hopefully the largest percussion instrument in the village is now in a fit state to sound out over the village for the next 100 years without major attention.
Time line
17 July 2022: Letter seeking advice sent to three bellhangers (Taylors, Nicholson and Whites of Appleton).
8 August 2022: Site inspection with verbal advice by Andrew Nicholson.
17 October 2022: Site inspection with verbal advice by Graham Clifton (Whites).
20 October 2022: Site inspection with verbal advice by Simon Adams (Taylors).
25 March 2023: Letter seeking advice sent to Matthew Higby, bellhanger.
28 March 2023: Site inspection with verbal advice by Matthew Higby.
12 September 2023: Bells recommendation paper submitted for PCC agenda.
14 September 2023: AJR Electrical visit for quoting for replacement lighting.
26 September 2023: PCC agree to recommendation for project at £66,284 + VAT.
30 September 2023: Nicholson advised as preferred contractor.
11 January 2024: Application sent to DAC.
11 March 2024: DAC recommend scheme for approval by the Chancellor.
2 April 2024: RG Electrical Solutions inspected for improved lighting estimate.
2 April 2024: Faculty application made.
21 May 2024: Faculty granted (until 31/12/2026).
10 December 2024: Richard Gibson (R G Electrical Solutions) visited the tower to provide estimate for revised lighting.
14 January 2025: Funding about £6k short but PCC agree to go ahead with project now at updated cost of £69,366 + VAT, aiming to get the whole project registered with LPOW and the first invoice dealt with so that if grants are stopped after 31/3/25 there is a better chance that the whole project may still be included.
21 January 2025: Nicholson Engineering agree revised start date 16/6/25 – three weeks to remove bells and paint frame, bells return 1/9/2025.
22 January 2025: Confirmed that LPOW Grant Scheme will continue till 31 March 2026.
27 January 2025: Advised Ecclesiastical Insurance of project.
14 May 2025: Site meeting with Nicholson Engineering (Andrew Nicholson and Chris Cozens), GP & volunteers briefed: Steve Brooks, Pete Johnson, Martyn Parratt, Anne Prestwick.
16 June 2025: Martyn Parratt removed two doorway side-stones to make way for bells 5 and 6 through tower door. Neil Deem – bellhanger site foreman arrived 11am with equipment and briefed volunteers at 12 noon. All bells, all fittings and south frame bracing to remove.
18 June 2025: Crane lorry took away all six bells, bell 3 to Soundweld and the rest to Bridport.
24 June 2025: Accurate measurements for bearing plates taken by A Nicholson.
21 July 2025: Richard Gibson (RG Electrical Solutions) installed lights in bell chamber, clock room, ringing room and an extra on spiral between ringing room and nave.
28 July 2026: Volunteers supervised by Neil Deem de-rusted main steel beams and removed loose paint from cast iron, applied two coats of Rust-Oleum Noxyde Plus light grey anti-corrosion and weather proofing paint., then two coats of Teamac Metalcote plant enamel RAL7038 Deutz green paint. Hammerite Red gloss on clock hammers. Completed by 6 August.
16 February 2026: Accurate measurements for slider pins and boards taken by A Nicholson.
2 March 2026: Bells returned and supervised by Neil Deem everything was stored in the tower base on Monday. During the week the bells were all hoisted into their pits and the frame restored and re-assembled fully. Most wheels, wheel braces, clappers, stays, slider pin brackets were installed, but there were four slider runner boards left unable to fit by the Friday when Neil had to leave.
8 March 2026: Bell 2 chimed for service.
11 March 2026: Chris Cozens supervised the completion of the work in the bell chamber except the 5th clapper had to be taken back to the works. Two intermediate pulleys were fitted in the clock chamber. The clock chime hammers were fixed back in place and set going again.
15 March 2026: Bells 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 were rung to call changes for service.
18 March 2026: Chris Cozens and later Andrew Nicholson spent the day completing the adjustments to chime hammers, clappers, stays and sliders ready for try out and a first practice evening.
25 March 2026: Zack Pope repaired the tower cctv by changing a failed power unit.
27 March 2026: Martyn Parratt restored the masonry to the tower doorway that he removed on 16 June 2025 to make room for the tenor bell to pass through.
20 August 2026: Andrew Nicholson and Chris Cozens reset all bearings, clappers, stays, including the 5 and 6 which had moved too close to frame. No alteration was made to the clappering of 2, 3 and 5.
Page amended 7 November 2026