Hear David Greasby and bell tower captain Roy Thorpe explain why we urgently needed to raise £45,000 to save our bells:
St Agatha’s Church is
a Grade II* listed building in a central location within
the attractive South Oxfordshire village of
Brightwell-cum-Sotwell. It is of exceptional historical
interest, a key facet of the village’s heritage
and remains at the heart of community life.
The Church was founded
in 1153 but all that remains of its Norman origin
are the nave and the south door, which was moved
to its present position when the south aisle was
added not long after the original building work. The
north aisle was built in the 14th century.
The New Extension
Support for the Church
was ably demonstrated when over £180,000 was
raised to build an extension. Opened in 2012, this
facility provides a multi-purpose function room,
kitchenette and two toilets. It is well used by village
organisations and facilitates concerts and other
events being held in the main Church building.
THE
BELLS
For eight
hundred years the delightful sound of St Agatha’s church bells has
rung out across the village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell in Oxfordshire.
They have marked services, weddings and funerals as well as national
occasions, perhaps most famously the visit of King George II in 1727.
The village has a long-standing tradition of bell-ringing and the
current team of ringers under Tower Captain Roy Thorpe spans many
ages, both male and female.
The Church has a peal
of eight bells from the treble at 3 cwt 1 qr to the
tenor at 11 cwt. Six of the bells date from when they
were re-hung in 1808, after the tower was rebuilt
following its collapse in 1795. An additional two light
bells were installed in 1968.
Following
expert advice, it has become increasingly
apparent that, unless major restoration
work is undertaken, the bells may ring no more. The bells are an important aspect of the village's heritage, and they would be a sad loss to our community
THE
WORK
Apart from general
maintenance there has been no modification since
1968. The frame and bells of the original structure have
had no major overhaul since inception. The bells
will need to be lowered from the tower and
transported for restoration and retuning to a specialist firm to be
chosen by a tender process. Meanwhile the framework supporting the bells in the church tower needs refurbishing.
The cost will be
mitigated by local involvement in the removal and
transportation of the bells. Nevertheless a total of
at least £45,000 will need to be raised to enable
the project to go ahead, through a combination
of private donations and local fundraising
events together with external grants from charitable
trusts.
To provide donors with
an opportunity to sponsor an individual bell, the
approximate costs are:
| Bell | Name | Re hung | Restoration cost |
| 1 | GRACE | 1965 | £2,500 |
| 2 | FRANK | 1965 | £2,600 |
| 3 | AMELIE | 1808 | £4,000 |
| 4 | ELIZABETH | 1808 | £4,800 |
| 5 | AGATHA | 1808 | £4,900 |
| 6 | THOMAS | 1808 | £5,100 |
| 7 | ROY | 1808 | £7,800 |
| 8 | FREDERICK | Re-cast 1905 | £5,300 |
| Other essential work | £8,000 | ||
A plaque placed in the
ringing belfry will acknowledge the names
of people or trusts sponsoring the total
restoration cost of a bell. Another will
acknowledge those contributing £300 or more towards the
overall work. A book will contain the names of
every donor.
Events
already planned for this year include an Open Garden and Plant Sale
on 27 September, an Organ Recital in the church and a Safari Supper
around the village. See the Diary page for further details of these and other events.
HOW YOU
CAN HELP
The
Parochial Church Council has set up a Building Committee, headed by
David Greasby with the Tower Captain of the Bells, Roy Thorpe, to
manage this project. This will involve obtaining specialist
appraisals of the installation and quotations for the work required,
securing the necessary approvals, appointing a firm of bell hangers
to undertake the work and overseeing this work being carried out. All
this will not be possible, of course, without first obtaining the
requisite funding for the project.
The St Agatha’s Bell
Restoration Appeal Committee needs your help to
ensure the success of this vital project by pledging a
personal donation. Any sum, however large or small,
will be greatly appreciated.
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