Denbury: Church bells to return to St Mary's

The tower has been silent for over two years due to the pandemic delaying the project, which took over seven and a half years

A £120,000 project funded by grants and a community has helped the bells of a local church return.

The bells of St Mary's, Denbury, in Devon, have been retuned and repaired, with two bells set to be replaced and a sixth bell also added.

The ringing room will move up one floor for "more light" and to give the ringing team a "far better experience".

A team of volunteers are working to install the bells and expect it to be completed in a fortnight.

The church said the bells were part of its "rich heritage" and have helped serve its community for more than 700 years

In a statement, the church said: "The bells are an integral part of village life, marking the progress of the day and big events in the lives of the community.

"It is the tradition to ring a muffled peal on the eve of the funeral of any villager who has died, a bell is tolled during the Sunday Communion Service and, during the lockdown, a bell was rung every morning to encourage and sustain us in such a difficult time."