Villagers raise £150,000 to replace historic church bells in North Curry

There was an emotional farewell in the village of North Curry near Taunton as people said goodbye to their church bells, some of which are over 200 years old.

They have been silent for years because of old age and safety concerns and are set to be melted down and recast into a new set after villagers raised £150,000.

The frame and fittings that support them, and the bells themselves, were wearing out so it was no longer safe to ring the largest bells together. 

All eight were loaded onto a lorry and transported to a foundry in Loughborough, where they will be recast.

Villager and historian Angela Dix said: "We're all going to visit hopefully before Christmas to see them actually recasting the new bells. It's going to be such an emotional occasion I'm emotional now waving them off because they've been in situ for such a long time.

"We're very proud of our bells. Let's hope it puts North Curry on the map."

Each bell was wheeled from the church to be loaded onto a lorry for transportation

Bells have rung out at the church of St Peter and St Paul since the reign of Henry VIII - but replacing them is expensive. Despite that, the community rallied together to raise the money.

Fundraiser Martin Horrox said: "You only get a chance to renew the bells like this, what, every 200, 300 years. So it really caught the imagination of the village. We've had far more support from people who don't go to the church regularly than do."

Vicar Rev Simon Bale said: "That's the thing here for me is these bells represent the sounding out of God in the whole of the community. It reminds people of where God is. But it also reminds people that there are other people out here who love this church."

It is hoped that the new bells will be back in the late winter.