C O N T E X T 1 3 0 : J U LY 2 0 1 3 33 DAVID KELLY Relocating redundant church bells Redundant bells can be transferred to churches where they will continue to be used, instead of languishing unused in a deconsecrated church or being sold for scrap. ‘Conservation by reuse’ is the motto of the KeltekTrust. The trust has been in operation for less than 20 years but the concept of reusing bells has been practiced for centuries. One of the earliest known examples is in 1660 at St Deiniol, Hawarden, Flintshire, when John Scott ofWigan cast a replacement ring of six bells. Common practice at the time was to break up the old bells and cast their replacements from the metal. However, two of the old bells survived and were sold in 1661 to All Saints, Ledsham,West Yorkshire1. Other examples include the transfer of the ring of six bells from Wellington old church, Shropshire, to the new church of All Saints in around 17902, and the transfer of the ring of six bells from the old church of HolyTrinity,Wentworth, South Yorkshire, to the new church in 1893.The oldWentworth church still exists and stands some distance away from its successor. Prior to the 1970s there were two main routes for the relocation of bells.The first and most significant was the reuse of bells within the same diocese.This would usually be under the guidance of the diocesan furnishings officer. Bells were treated like other items of church furnishings, such as pews, and relocated accordingly. The second route was through the bell-founding and hanging trade. Bells were an asset, and if they could be reused intact it would save the founder money. It is estimated that in the last 50 years over 2,000 Anglican churches alone have closed. It is not known how many individual bells have been removed from churches, but comprehensive records do exist for rings of bells3. Between 1800 and 1949 there were just under 100 losses of rings of bells, a quarter of themwere caused The former church at QuarriersVillage has been converted into apartments. The chime of bells was acquired by the Keltek Trust. St John’s Episcopal Church, Dumfries. Five bells from QuarriersVillage are to be incorporated into the proposed ring of bells.
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