In what was an amazingly rapid operation, a team of determined people have taken the bells from our church-tower. It took them less than two days to lower all six bells to the floor of the tower, and to remove much of the old ringing mechanisms, including the wooden bell-wheels.
Luckily, this was all part of the 2025 church-renovation project, during which we will see the bells returned in the autumn, a new pew-heating system installed, better lighting, a new tower-access ladder fitted, and repairs to the tower-roof.
The majority of the work is being funded by the Lottery Heritage Fund which provided us with a substantial grant. This is part of a new initiative to help preserve parish churches and to try to encourage participation in things like bell-ringing, an activity that brings together people of all ages and backgrounds.
We are also very grateful to the Batsworthy Cross Community Fund and the Devon Church Bell Restoration Fund, both of which have also provided substantial amounts of money to help restore the bells. In addition, we had a very useful contribution from the Sharpe Trust, a small fund with the mission of helping churches retain and repair their peals of bells.
But we also want to thank all of you, dear readers, who have come to our various fund-raising events and contributed whatever you were able to give. You have raised thousands for the church, and more specifically the bells and coping stones, by being there at music evenings, talks, flower-shows - and of course the Rod Stewart evening!
The amounts we raise locally are very important as it is critical for us to show the various funds that we are doing our bit and that we care. Without your contributions we might not have been awarded the Lottery Funds as we could not have shown the necessary level of local commitment and support for our church. So thank you very much indeed – and a special thank-you to everyone who plays the Lottery: you have made this possible!
We also wanted to mention that when Clare Phillips asked for volunteers to help remove the Bells, she received 19 offers of assistance over the week 2nd – 6th June: thank you to all who did so. In the event, eight people helped in the tower, and we would like to thank them for their time and effort. At times it was hard work, and the engineer from Taylors Bells was impressed by the speed and endurance of the team: he said it was clear that people in this part of the country work a lot harder than most of the other volunteers he has worked with. So – well done all those listed below:
Jamieson Manley
Chris Holt
Owen Cronk
Alan Hoskins
Steve Ford
Dave Fergie
Steve Howe
We look forward to having the bells back in the autumn, when we will arrange for a celebratory peal or two to be rung.
If you would like to join the ringers at Rose Ash, please contact Clare Phillips, or Caro Hammick, the Churchwarden, and we can arrange for you to come to the church when the ringing teams are here.