BELLS RESTORATION PROJECT

St. Andrew’s Church,

Dent, Cumbria.

The Church St. Andrew’s is the parish church of Dent-with-Cowgill, Diocese of Bradford. It is Listed Grade I, dates from Norman times and is one of the finest in the Yorkshire Dales. In 2008 extensive repairs became necessary. The tower was crumbling and the roof leaking. All this has now been put right (August 2009) at a cost of about £200,000. The English Heritage Lottery Fund has contributed £148,000 and the parish itself £35,000.

The Bells

Our six bells, listed as a notable set and all cast by William Mears in 1787, have not been in a fit state for full-circle change ringing since 1918. The frame and fittings had decayed and the tower had become too weak.

The tower has now been strengthened. The bells are with the Whitechapel Bell Foundry Ltd (the successors of William Mears) awaiting renovation, new fittings, a new frame and re-hanging.

The cost of the whole Restoration Project - restoration of the bells plus associated elements of learning and participation - will be £71,167, of which we have already raised £16, 058 from the Dent community and £22,615 from:
 

The Yorkshire and The Lancashire Associations of Change Ringers

The Church Buildings Council

and

The Sharpe Trust
 

An application has been made to The Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant which would complete the funding for the project.

When completed, the project will have as its results:

• Revival of the Dale's long-lost  collective musical voice with ringing every Sunday, at weddings and funerals, and on special occasions.
   

• a rich new teaching resource for our Primary School children.
   

• the opportunity to become bellringers (we aim at 12, and already have 10 volunteers)
   
• attraction to the Dale of visiting bellringers from elsewhere
   
• a long term audio visual display about our bells and bells in general, accessible from the churchyard.
   

One of the bells being removed from the tower	The six bells ready to be taken to the Whitechapel Foundry
Some of Dent Primary School children watching a bell being hoisted onto the lorry	Bell hoist ready for transport tohe Whitechapel Foundry
Parts of the ringing mechanism which has to be replaced	St.Andrew's Bells at the Whitechapel Foundry London

Please click HERE to see more photographs of the Church restoration work undertaken to date.