Church Bells Bells Restoration Project Bell Project Overview
| Bell Project Overview |
Background and HistoryA Bells Group was formed in 2006 with the aim of restoring the bells to regular full circle ringing. The aim of the project at the outset was to restore the bells with all new fittings and if funds allowed, add two new bells to augment the ring from six to eight. The restored bells will be hung in a new steel frame lower down in the tower, leaving the old, part pre-Reformation wooden frame in situ. One bell, the third, will be replaced because it cannot be sufficiently well-tuned to fit in with the other bells. It will be hung in the old preserved frame and used as a clock bell. The five other bells will be tuned and a simulator will be fitted to them to enable teaching of new ringers to be undertaken without disturbing the local environment and also to enhance the experience of novice ringers in their learning. Find out more about bell ringing simulators Safe access to all parts of the tower will be installed by means of ladders and access platforms, allowing comprehensive and regular maintenance to be undertaken, and for members of the puiblic to enjoy the views from the tower and view the old frame on Open Days. Exhaustive consultation with the proposed contractors, English Heritage, the Suffolk Guild of Ringers , the Church Architect and local ringers produced a full set of drawings and plans for this project. These are displayed in the church. They were submitted to the Diocesan Advisory Committee in a petition for a Faculty in 2007 and the Faculty was granted at the end of 2007. FundingThe funding target was £83,000. The fundraising strategy was to boost local traditional fundraising by maximising the amount of money which could be obtained from grants, as Bardwell is only a very small village with many other local projects going on.Successful Local Fundraising Events have included Tower Open Days, a 'Suffolk Quiz', a concert of chamber music in the church and a talk by George Pipe of the Suffolk Guild of Ringers on 'Suffolk Churches - Saxon to Victorian'. Successful applications to grant-making and other bodies; Heritage Lottery Fund (Your Heritage) £33,700 Suffolk Guild of Ringers £6,000 Suffolk Historic Churches Trust £2,000 Suffolk County Council Corporate Regeneration Fund £8,000 Suffolk County Council Locality Budget £2,000 Havebury Housing Partnership CIFG £2,000 Bardwell Parish Council £500 Allchurches Trust Ltd £750 Scarfe Charitable Trust £500 Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust £750
Donations Bardwell PCC Designated Funds £15,000 (final amount put into this project to be confirmed) St John's College, Oxford £1,000 Local donations and fundraising (approx) £2,500 Hiams Farms Ltd £1,000 Thank you for your support in helping to maintain the unique tradition of English church bells in Bardwell village, Suffolk. Please use the contact form . For more information about bells and bell ringing read our Bell Ringing pages. |