Late eighteenth and nineteenth century bells will be removed and lowered down the outside of a Wakefield Church Tower next week to undergo much needed restoration work.
Taylors Bellfounders of Loughborough will come to remove the bells, from the church of St Peter in Horbury, which will have to be taken from where the louvres are, high in the tower and lowered down to the ground outside. Normally bells are lowered on the inside but this isn't possible because of the lack of space in St Peter's narrow tower. This added complication means it will take 4 or 5 days, from Friday 28th September, to remove and lower the bells onto the ground.
The work to re cast the bells has been able to begin because of the superb efforts of the Horbury Bell Ringers (pictured right), who have raised enough money through grants and individual sponsorship to fund the start of the restoration. The cost will amount to over £90,000 and to date an incredible £79,182 has been raised so far. 
"We ringers have been overwhelmed by the kindness, encouragement and generosity of everyone who has contributed towards this project: they have our heartfelt thanks," said Mavis Walsh, Churchwarden at St Peter's Church in Horbury (pictured next to Fr Christopher Johnson below).
"The tower will be silent for more than three months: no clock chimes, no Sunday service ringing, no Angelus bell, no Christmas bells, no joining in with the Ringing for Peace on 11th November. However, once the re cast bells are in place, Horbury will have a peal of bells with a sweet sound and which will be easier to ring and good for another 200 years!"
The bells will hopefully be hung back in the tower by January 2019. In the meantime, there will be an opportunity from 28th September to view the bells being been removed from the tower, before been taken away to the foundry for repair. Make sure to visit St Peter's for this once in a lifetime experience and all are welcome.