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Haverhill's St Mary's Church bells to undergo £160,000 restoration project
Overview
Centuries-old church bells at St Mary's Church in Haverhill, Suffolk, are being removed for a £160,000 restoration and retuning project. The six existing bells, two of which date back to 1669, will be sent to Taylor's Bell Foundry in Loughborough alongside the casting of two new bells to create a full octave. The town will be without the sound of the bells for about six months during the work.
Key points
- St Mary's Church bells in Haverhill are being removed on 12 October for a £160,000 restoration project.
- The project will take about six months, during which the town will be without the sound of the bells.
- Two of the six existing bells date back to 1669 and have not been maintained for 120 years.
- Taylor's Bell Foundry in Loughborough will carry out the restoration and cast two new bells to create a full ring of eight.
- The Reverend Max Drinkwater stated that repairing rather than replacing the bells preserves their historical value.