£500k appeal unveiled to stop St Paul's Church bells in Bedford from falling silent

A major appeal to save St Paul's tower, clock and bells in Bedford is under way.

It's hoped £500,000 can be raised to restore the tower fabric, overhaul the obsolete clock drive and chiming mechanisms, refurbish the historic ringing room, and rehang its 12 bells.

The clock and bells installation are in urgent need of restoration to prevent them from falling silent.

The current bells have been pivotal to the development of change ringing in Bedfordshire dating back to the 1600s.

The clock - originally installed in 1811 - is the largest church clock in North Beds and is one of the earliest surviving public clocks of its type.

£500,000 is the estimated cost for the project - and a generous grant of £200,000 has already kicked off the appeal.

Charles Whitbread, appeal chairman, whose family at Southill Park have a long association with St Paul's, said: "This is a unique opportunity to overhaul the tower, clock, ringing chamber, and the bells so that their familiar sounds can ring across Bedford for a further 100 years or more.

"I hope that our appeal today will be supported by the people of Bedfordshire as generously as their forebears supported the last major appeal of this kind in 1896, and we can leave a similarly impressive legacy for the town."

For donations to this project or to sponsor the refurbishment of a bell or clock face, contact Claire Price, appeal secretary, at clockandbells@stpaulschurchbedford or send a cheque to The Treasurer, St Paul's church, Bedford or call 01234 340163.