Butterleigh’s Bells - help us bring them back.

Have you missed the pleasure of hearing St. Matthew’s Church bells ring?

Did you know they haven’t rung since 2017 when an inspection of the tower deemed them unsafe?

Did you know that the tower is the oldest part of the church and is believed to have been constructed between 1277 and 1319?

Did you know that one of the bells dates from the 15th century and the other two date from the 18th century?

Did you know that the oldest bell bears an inscription found on only 35 bells in the country?

Fabulous facts eh? It has taken a long time to find the right people and the funding to make a start on the huge task of mending the bells, but, as of Monday, work will begin to remove them from the tower. This is a very exciting moment for our community, but also a nerve wracking one. The physical removal of the bells will be a poignant and marked event – each bell weighs around 500kg! We are very grateful for a donation from the DCC grant of £1250 from Cllr John Berry’s Locality Funding toward the cost of removing the bells, but only once the bells have been inspected in the foundry will we know the extent of the damage and thus the cost. We will then have to raise what we know will be a very substantial remaining amount. Donations would be very gratefully reveived and we will keep you informed on the progress as it unfolds.