Nottingham church bells to ring for coronation after year of silence

A 500-year-old church's bells will ring again for the coronation of King Charles after being silent for a year.

St Mary's Church, in Nottingham, was forced to cease pealing in May 2022 after it was discovered parts of its walls moved when the bells sounded.

However structural repairs funded by a £185,000 appeal mean it is now safe for them to ring out again when Charles III is crowned on 6 May.

The church's vicar thanked all the people who had donated money

The Reverend Tom Gillum said: "It was a shock to learn about the wall. The bells are extremely heavy and whenever they are rung, they put pressure on the beams.

"This impacts the building, so we had to make the difficult decision to cease ringing, even over Christmas.

"It became clear that without significant funds, we may not be able to ring them for some time."

He added: "Since as far back as the reign of Henry IV in 1399, these bells have rung out at every coronation, and it was difficult to imagine that they would remain silent on the upcoming occasion for our new king."

Mr Gillum said the repairs would not all be complete by the coronation but scaffolding meant the bells could ring without putting the Grade I-listed church at risk.

He added: "It's brilliant news we now have enough to complete the repairs and ensure the bells will ring for the king - and hopefully for another 500 years.

"We couldn't have succeeded in this fundraiser without the incredible support shown by all those who have donated.

"Every little bit goes such a long way to ensuring our community can continue to enjoy and celebrate with the beautiful bells of St Mary's."

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