HISTORIC CHURCH BELLS PEAL AGAIN AFTER 106 000 RESTORATION

Six 18th century bells at a historic Staffordshire church are pealing again after a £106,000 restoration project supported by JCB.

The company donated £15,000 to the project to remove, restore and retune the historic bells – originally cast in 1762 – at the Grade-1 listed medieval All Saints Church in Checkley, near Cheadle.

Prior to their rededication in March this year it had been 12 years since the bells had rung properly.

Now the church community is applying for grants to train a new generation of bell ringers by attracting young people to learn the art.

Church Treasurer Heather Graham said: “It’s absolutely fantastic that JCB has supported the project. It’s nice to see a local company doing something like this, forging a unique partnership with the community.

“When the newly-retuned bells pealed again in March this year it was quite phenomenal.”

As part of the ten-year project, the tower was strengthened, a new steel frame was built to hold the bells, leaving behind the original frame which was built from Elizabethan ship’s timbers.