Village bells silenced, but will soon be ringing better than ever

ANCIENT church bells will be fit for ringing by generations to come once a £30,000 restoration project is complete.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jan 2009, 08:39 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 00:58 BST

The bells and fittings at St Peter's Church, Upper Beeding, are currently with the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, in Whitechapel, east London.

The foundry, which has been in business since 1420, made the current frame from which the bells hang.

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The ancient peal has been calling the village to worship, chiming at weddings, tolling at funerals and warning of danger over the centuries.

Legacy

The oldest bells were cast in the 1300s.

The original ring of three was increased to six, in 1893, and then eight, in 1898.

Maintenance work was carried out in 1965, and again in 1980, and major works are now necessary to provide a lasting legacy.

Tradition

Churchwarden Brenda Emsley, who has been a ringer for more than 40 years, said: "It is a privilege to stand in this tower and think that you are continuing to create a sound that has been familiar to those living in Upper Beeding since the village was formed.

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"Peals of bells for me, and many others, are the very essence of the English village.

"They have marked all the great events of life over the centuries."

Viridor

Members of the church and other local towers helped with the dismantling process, under the direction of Simon Dyson, of Chichester architechs HMDW, enabling the church to keep costs down.

The work was made possibly by a Viridor grant of 20,000 and donations from individuals and the Sussex Churches Bell Restoration Fund.

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Brenda added she was delighted the bells would be returned to their former glory.

"We have a great bunch of ringers, many of them youngsters, who enjoy the company, outings to other towers and learning to create the different peals," she said.

"We are sad that for a time they are to be silenced, but we are looking forward to ringing the improved peal."

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Related topics:Upper Beeding