Launch of Bell Restoration Project at St Pauls Bedford

A £500k project to restore the tower, clock, and bells at St Paul’s Bedford was launched on Thursday 28th October. It was attended by invited church and civic dignitaries and trustees of a number of charitable funds and potential major donors. Charles Whitbread has kindly agreed to chair the public appeal and a grant of £200k has already been offered to initiate it.

There were local press reports in the Bedford Independent and Bedford Today and at 7.39am in a 10 minute interview with Stephen Stanford broadcast on BBC Three Counties Radio on the 7th November (BBC Sounds login required).

One of the aims of the project is to create an environment that encourages and supports the training and development of ringers (something that is not easily achieved with the current installation) thereby maintaining the historic legacy, tradition, and art of bell ringing in the county. It will also provide an excellent and high profile opportunity to promote ringing and help drive recruitment. Following the launch event there will need to be a wider public appeal and fund raising initiative that we hope Association members will want to support. Over the next few weeks we will be developing a web site with a lot more information about the project (www.bedfordclockandbells.com) and there will also be a presence on social media.
Briefly, the project will comprise;

Re-hanging the 12 bells on one level in a new cast iron and steel frame that is designed to accommodate 14 bells on one level, with options for two additional bells to create lighter rings of 8 and 10 bells.
Refurbishment of the obsolete clock drive, winding, and chiming mechanisms, installation of a new clock display case and other works to include cleaning and gilding of the external clock dials and hands.
Repairs to the tower structure and refurbishment of the ringing room including, safe access to the bells and clock, upgrading the electrical system, and restoration of the historic peal boards.
Installation of an automatically operated sound control mechanism enabling the bells to be heard fully for services and rung less obtrusively at other time.

The launch of the project and appeal is the cumulation of almost 3 years of negotiation and preparation, including work by the architect, DAC, structural engineers and the bell hanging firms, much of this progressed through, albeit hindered by, the Covid 19 restrictions. We haven’t been completely dormant!

Stephen Stanford