Nunney Church Bells Augmentation

All Saint’s Church tower houses six bells currently, with the Tenor bell dating from 1633 and three of the other bells cast by William Cockey of Frome in the 1740’s.  Following the end of the Great War in 1918, the villagers decide to record their gratitude to parishioners who had given their lives in the conflict by restoring the bells and adding two new ones to complete the ring of eight bells.   Work commenced in June 2019 with the restoration of the existing bells and replacement of the bell frame with a steel one made to carry eight bells. This is recorded on the war memorial at the front of the church. The project was never completed possibly owing to the position of the clock mechanism in the ringing chamber.

The clock dates back to the early 1700’s and is housed in a roughly constructed wooden case made from scrap – including a carved door dating from around 1400.  The winding mechanism was only electrified in 2003.

The Postlebury Bellringers set out in 2009 to move the project forwards again with the hope of completing it in time for the centenary of the end of the Great War.  They selected a clock expert and bellhanger to provide expert advice and come up with a plan.

These plans have now been approved and include the moving of the clock mechanism and adaptation to clear enough space for eight bell ropes.   Two additional bells have been acquired; one was originally fitted to a buoy in Mersey harbour and the second came from a church in Chelsfield, Kent and was donated by a Nunney parishioner in recent years.  All the bells and the steel frame will be renovated.

The bellringers raised more than £20,000 in a few years leading up to the end of 2019.  The pandemic then put an end to fundraising activities.  In the meantime, the formal approval and consents have been obtained a preparatory work to repair the tower roof and stonework have been carried out by the Nunney Church funds.

About £10,000 is still needed to undertake the project, allowing for some repairs in the bell chamber and ringing chamber which may be uncovered in the course of the work.

For more information, contact Helen Parkin at foghamshire@googlemail.com.