St Mary's is a member of the Quiet Garden Trust
St Mary's Bells
Bells
are used in churches to call people to worship. St Mary’s has been calling
people in this way since the time of the first Queen Elizabeth.
Eight of our bells were installed in 1869 and a further two added in 1877. During the 1970s it became apparent that they were in need of re-hanging. The oak frame was rotting and beginning to move around.
Over the next 30 years, as the problem escalated, the motion of the decaying frame made the bells more and more difficult to ring. A new steel and cast iron frame was becoming a necessity.
As the new Millenium dawned, the re-hanging of the bells became a priority. For the next three years the church, spearheaded by the ringers, undertook some very intensive fund-raising.
By the autumn of 2004, all necessary permission had been granted and work began in the November. It was unfortunate that our bells were silent over Christmas and the New Year, but Ash Wednesday 2005 saw their triumphant return.
Much physical hard work is needed to get the tons of metal in both frame and bells up to the top of the tower. It was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime event! The Foundry provided one qualified bellhanger and the rest of the workforce was provided by St Mary's and other ringers of the Surrey Association which saved on labour costs.
The bells rang out for Mothering Sunday and the Service of Re-dedication took place on 13 March, presided over by the Rt Rev Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark. It was a joyous occasion during which the Surrey Association presented the church with a cheque for £15,000 from the Belfry Repair Fund. The final cost of the project was £64,000.
The band is thriving and we are most grateful for all the help we received with our mammoth project.