BRATTON’S St James’s Church has unveiled new-look bells following major repairs to the bell tower and the refurbishment of its historic bells. The church had to raise almost £50,000 to help pay for associated costs and managed to secure this through grants, as well as the generous donations of local people.
Hasman (Nicholsons), Alan Curtis, Anna Furman, Ian Humphrey, Dusty Millier (Bells Captain), Tony Elliott, Jude Curtis, Neil Deem (Nicholsons), Graham Preuveneers, Peter Needham, Revd Andrew Sinclair (Rector), Peter Sharland, James Boyce, Mike Smith
The tower and bells were identified as needing repair by engineers in 2019, with the bell tower shut off since May of this year as a result of rainwater causing the floor to rot.
To apply for a grant, the church had to submit a statement of significance to the Church of England in which they stated that there were considerable signs of wear and tear on the bells. It was subsequently discovered by an engineer that one of the bells had a stress fracture in an inspection in 2018.
Peter Sharland, treasurer of St James’s Church explained, “We had to get all the bells sent away to Bridport, which is where they all got renovated and repaired and all that good stuff. While the room was empty, we took the opportunity to renovate everything inside, before moving on to the stonework outside – it’s been a huge project really, and one that everyone in our little community has got involved with.
“People have been incredibly generous through fundraisers and donations, but we managed to secure grants as well. It’s amazing really, if you can demonstrate that you are an old church and you are actively bell ringing, there are grants you can apply for.
“I originally quoted about £36,000, but the reality now is that it will cost about £48,000. It’s a split of about 2/3rds grants, which still left us a lot to get through donations. We’ve had support from Westbury Area Board, Bratton Parish Council and national bodies but we’re still about £2,000 short, so if anyone can help, please do get in touch with the church.”
The bell tower captain, David ‘Dusty’ Millier, explained the importance of keeping the rich tradition of bellringing going in the village. He said, “The oldest bell in the tower is from 1613, so we felt it was so important to keep these bells going for the next generation to enjoy and continue the history of bell ringing – there’s something peculiarly English about bell ringing, so we have to do the most to preserve this.
“I’ve been bell captain for the last 10 years or so, but I’ve been ringing here since 1980. I’ve been training bell ringers locally since about 1990, so it seemed the right thing to do. Refurbishing the bells keeps our tradition alive for that bit longer.”
The roof of St James’s is the next priority project following the theft of lead from the church last year. The church is accepting donations for this and you can email Dusty at d.millier@btinternet.com
If you would like to get involved with bell ringing in Bratton, then please call Dusty on 07713 815642.
