I have always loved the sound of church bells. They are evocative of lazy Sunday mornings, holidays in the beautiful village of Hawkshead and now, the church bells ringing in our village of Over Kellet.
H W Longfellow, the famous poet, wrote of church bells ringing “for bells are the voice of the church. They have tones that touch and search the hearts of young and old”. This is so simple and yet so true.
Our village church, St Cuthbert’s, has housed bells for over 500 years, but in 2016 the existing three bells were condemned as unsafe. The installation of replacement bells, sourced free of charge from a closed church in Lancashire, was originally backed by the local community as the village’s preferred project to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. Of the eight bells donated however, only five were suitable for use, requiring the casting of three additional new bells to complete the peal. Fundraising took place to secure the three bells, and all bells were in place by Christmas 2023.
The bells are now rung every Sunday. They sound amazing and make life in a village just that little bit more special.
