Gloucester tower gets new bell

The replacement bell was first cast in 1711

A replacement bell has been installed in a Gloucester tower, more than 50 years after the originals were taken down.

St Michael's church tower belfry at the city's Cross had been empty since 1956 when 10 bells were removed.

The new bell, which was first cast in 1711, came from All Saints Church in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

It will be rung by Gloucester Civic Trust volunteers on occasions such as Gloucester Day and Heritage Open Day.

Marilyn Champion, from the Civic Trust, said: "It's been a challenging project as we've been thwarted with technical hitches but we got there in the end."

The replacement bell was first cast by Richard Phelps, a master bell maker at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, who also made a bell for St Paul's Cathedral in London.