The bells restoration project at St Mary’s Church has been delayed until next year because of the Covid-19 emergency and delays in processing paper work.
Work was due to have started by now but the principal project organiser Julia Sargent says permission to start the work from the Diocesan Advisory Group had not been received despite an application having been made in September last year.
Mrs Sargent said: “Efforts to speed up and sort out the delay were unsuccessful and the problem has been complicated still further by staff being furloughed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s frustrating but all being well we should be able to ring a peal of the new bells next year, the 991st church celebration in 2021.”
The bells are to be restored by White’s of Appleton, one of few remaining restoration companies in the country. There are six bells at St Mary’s Church which was built in 1120.
The local community has raised £44,000 towards the restoration. The whole restoration package includes the restoration of the bells, new bell wheels, new ropes and rope guides, and transportation of the bells to the works at Appleton.
