Church Bells Restoration

Bell Restoration Project

 

Until recently, the tower contained a ring of 3 bells which hung in an oak bell frame, originally constructed in 1670 and located in a chamber about 30 feet above the ringers on the ground floor. The whole arrangement weighed about one ton and was held down on a sill around the tower by its own weight! 

The bells were rehung in 1928 but after World War II they had become too difficult to ring. They were repaired in the early 1980s and since have been periodically rung together for village weddings and funerals and chimed for regular church services. There are no signs of there having ever been a church clock or chimes on the bells.

A recent survey of the bells revealed their true condition and the damaging effect the current frame was having on the tower, and, for safety reasons, all ringing was halted. As we as a village wished to make the bells safe to ring again and to encourage more people to ring, a restoration project got underway to replace the rotting bell cage with a new one one floor below. The restored bells and fittings have been rehung along with a fourth bell. 

We are most grateful to all the donations received, from individuals and groups, as well as the grants from AmeyCespa Community Fund (this is specifically for the new cast iron bell frame that has been built by bell hangers Whites of Appleton), Garfield Weston, All Churches Trust, Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, the Fitzwilliam Charity and not least the National Lottery Our Heritage Fund which have enabled us to realise this ambitious project.

Work Completed

The project to restore our bells is now complete. Four bells hang in a new frame and our team of bellringers hold weekly practices. Whilst bells rang out across the country at 1pm on Monday 4th October 2014 to mark the anniversary of the commencement of WW1, four bells sounded from the tower of All Saints Covington for the first time in the one thousand year history of the church. We are enormously grateful to all who have contributed to make this happen.

Covington Church Bells