C O N T E X T 1 3 0 : J U LY 2 0 1 3 35 References ¹ Bryant, D J and Dawson G A, (2010) Church Bells ofYorkshire, Diocese ofYork, Part 3: The City and Ainsty 2 A list of transferred rings of bells can be downloaded from www. keltektrust.org.uk/ downloads 3A list of lost rings of bells can be downloaded from the same website. 4 See www.cccbr.org.uk 5 See www.cccbr.org.uk/ redundantbells/ David Kelly is secretary of the Keltek Trust. The Bell Tower, Perth, Western Australia, is a working museum of bells and bell-ringing. It contains many examples of different types of bells as well as a ring of 16 bells, one of only three in the world. and continued use of church bells. So far 341 churches have been vested in the CCT. Some closed churches continue to be used but with other faiths. For example, at St Saviour,Tor Mohun,Torquay, the former Anglican church has been adopted by the Greek Orthodox community. Closed churches which do not fit into the above categories are either converted for alternative use, such as Mount Zion church, QuarriersVillage, Scotland, or as a last resort demolished, such as St Bartholomew, Blackburn. Listed building consent to remove the ring of six bells from the former church of St Cross, Oxford, was refused in 2010.The reasons given were: ‘The bells are considered to have such high historic association and interest as to merit preservation in the church that is their original setting.The removal would result in a reduction in the significance of the church as a heritage asset.The bells have high historic value intrinsically and as a full ring.’ Had this reasoning been applied and accepted at other redundant churches, very few bells would have been relocated. Sadly, work to install library equipment for Balliol College has meant that St Cross’s bells can no longer be rung. One of the consequences of leaving bells in situ in churches converted for alternative use is that the regular quinquennial inspection no longer takes place and deterioration of bell installations may go unnoticed. This could result in bells no longer being used because of the high cost of repair. Another significant problem is that alterations made for a change of use can prevent the future removal of a bell or its fittings for repair.This is a consideration frequently overlooked by architects. The KeltekTrust believes that redundant bells should be transferred to churches where they will continue to be used, instead of languishing unused in a deconsecrated church or, worse still, being removed and sold for scrap. On average there is a delay of several years between removal and installation elsewhere. Frequently bells need to be removed at short notice and there is insufficient time to find an alternative home. Even if an alternative destination is found, it is unlikely that the receiving church authorities could gain faculty approval and raise sufficient funds in time. The trust has overcome this problem by establishing a bell rescue fund, through which bells are acquired and put into storage until a suitable destination is found. In some cases the trust has stepped in with an interest-free loan to cover the removal costs. This happened at the former church of St John the Baptist, Bollington, Cheshire, where the ring of eight bells, complete with frame and fittings, was removed in 2011 in anticipation of their proposed relocation at Stockton Heath, Cheshire. The majority of bells for relocation date from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Occasionally the trust relocates medieval bells. Recent recipients include medieval bells for display at the Weald and Downland Museum, Singleton, Sussex, and the Bell Tower, Perth, Western Australia. Since the trust’s operations started, over 500 bells have been relocated and almost 100 more are in progress. The bell rescue fund has been used to acquire over 300 bells, 87 of which have been donated to worthy recipients. Far left:Three of the four bells from the now demolished church of St Bartholomew, Ewood, Blackburn have been installed at St John the Evangelist, North Rigton, NorthYorkshire.The remaining bell is awaiting installation at St Margaret, Broomfield, Kent.
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