Stowmarket church bells ring after three-year absence

The ringers chimed the bells during a dedication service on Sunday, for the first time since their restoration

The bells at a church have chimed for the first time in three years following a long-awaited restoration project.

The bells at St Peter and St Mary's Church in Stowmarket, Suffolk, were removed for upgrades in 2019.

The restoration project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, saw two more bells added and the installation of a steel frame.

Tower captain Winston Girling said: "We now have a superb and well-tuned ring which will last for many years."

The revamp began in 2019, but the church said the bells' return was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It was clear that the 1984 bell frame was unable to deal with the forces produced by swinging the bells in full circles," continued Mr Girling.

"The Parochial Church Council gave us permission to have the bells restored and we urgently started raising funds."

The church now has 10 bells and a new steel hanging frame

When the timber frame was removed by the bell hangers, it became apparent that it had been compromised by deathwatch beetles - a woodboring beetle known for infesting timber in old buildings.

Mr Girling hoped the steel frame would last for "at least a century".

The new bells were rung for the first time during a dedication service on Sunday, which was attended by The Bishop of Dunwich, Dr Mike Harrison.

Dr Harrison said: "Church bells are a rich part of England's social landscape - ringing out to mark celebrations such as weddings or coronations, sounding dolefully for funerals or national mourning, and more ordinarily simply calling people to worship on a Sunday morning and at other times."