Church bells ring 11 years after fire

The church received more than £62,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the project

All six bells have been been ringing once again at a Grade II listed church which was gutted by a fire in 2014.

A blaze, blamed at the time by an electrical fault, engulfed St Peter's Church in the village of Ropley, almost 11 years ago.

The bells, the largest of which weighs 680kg, were salvaged from the fire and have been in storage ever since.

The church, which was rebuilt and reopened in August 2022, has now been able to restore all of the bells thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

A blaze engulfed St Peter's Church in 2014

Records show that bells had hung at the site since the early 18th Century, when Samuel Knight a travelling bellfounder cast five new bells on a site in the village.

In 1927, Marianna Hagan, a local philanthropist, paid for them to be restored and for a sixth to be created.

The church received more than £62,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the project.

Members of the local parish have also raised more than £1m to restore the church and to return the bells.

It is hoped the restored bells can be used to engage future generations in the practice.

St Peter's church hopes to hold an annual event to celebrate bell ringing

Alan Parsonson, Ropley Parochial Church Council treasurer, said: "We're delighted that the award received from the National Lottery allows the bells to be rehung as a major step in restoring St Peter's to re-establish itself as a centre of excellence for bell ringing and bell ringers.

"Apart from ongoing practices and training it is anticipated that St Peter's will hold an annual event to celebrate the art of bell ringing and the support provided by the National Lottery."