Church bells finally ring over Ab Kettleby

Villagers at Ab Kettleby were able to hear all of their beloved church bells ring again for the first time in months on Wednesday.
Ab Kettleby bellringers 
PHOTO: SuppliedAb Kettleby bellringers 
PHOTO: Supplied
Ab Kettleby bellringers PHOTO: Supplied

Following work in the bell tower to install three new bells there is now a more traditional set of six bells.

The bells were set to be installed in August last year, but the £25,000 project was delayed after it was found that the effects of the weather over 50 years, had caused significant rust damage to the bell frame.

New sections of steel frame had to be manufactured to replace those too badly damaged to be saved.

Tower captain, James Lowe said: “We managed to get five of the six bells ringing just in time for Christmas, and I had so many lovely comments about how good they sounded.”

Two brand new bells were cast last February at the John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough and the third one has been relocated from a church in Cornwall.

The team of fourteen bell-ringers at Ab Kettleby started learning to ring the church bells less than two years ago, and have been practising at neighbouring churches since the work in the bell tower started last summer.

Mr Lowe added: “Since the new bells were cast, all of the ringers have been looking forward to the completion of the project, so it was quite a special moment for us all.”

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