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Church secures £209,000 for tower, clock and bells

Tony FisherBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
News imageAnthony Davis Church bells pictured from above in the tower. There are wooden wheels by each bell which are turned by rope from below in order to ring the bells.Anthony Davis
The St Paul's church bells have rung out for more than 400 years

A church has been awarded £209,000 to help pay for urgent repairs to its tower, clock and bells.

St Paul's Church in Bedford secured the money from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Reverend Anthony Davis said it was "a wonderful boost to the project and for those who have been working on this to raise the funds".

The amount of money raised has reached £663,500 and Davis said work was expected to start in October.

News imageAnthony Davis A view of a church from the street, with railings around the perimeter of the grounds and cemetery and a large gate in the foreground. It is a sunny day with blue sky. The tower is prominent with its clock visible on two sides. There is a St George's flag flying on the roof.Anthony Davis
St Paul's tower is crumbling from the inside out and requires urgent work

The St Paul's Tower, Clock & Bells Appeal was launched in October 2021 and the Appeal chairman is Charles Whitbread.

Davis said the tower - crumbling from the inside - was "a symbol of Bedford and it is wonderful we get to preserve it for generations to come".

The clock, originally installed in 1811, also needs to be restored to its former glory.

The 12 bells have rung out for more than 400 years to mark religious, civic and national events.

They now urgently need re-hanging to prevent them falling silent forever.

News imageAnthony Davis A mechanism involving metal cogs and wheels which operates the clock in the tower of a church. There is a wooden ladder in the background propped up against a wooden wall. There is light coming in from the left from a window.Anthony Davis
The mechanism of the tower clock, first installed in 1811, is in need of restoration and repair

Two additional bells will be installed and Davis said the bells being removed would be displayed at the church for visitors.

A new facility will also be installed in the church to help train the next generation of bell-ringers.

St Paul's Church is part of the Church of England in the Diocese of St Albans.​​

The Bishop of Bedford and acting Bishop of St Albans, the Right Reverend Richard Atkinson, welcomed the grant and said: "Congratulations to all concerned."

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