Worshippers are celebrating a successful £150,000 campaign to restore the bells at their ancient Suffolk church which feature at everything from weddings and funerals to Remembrance Sunday.
The restoration of church bells at Fornham St Martin, near Bury St Edmunds, was celebrated with a ceremony on Sunday 28 May attended by the county’s Bishop to commemorate the upgrade.
Bishop Graeme paid tribute to the parishioners, villagers and donors who had supported the fundraising initiative. Bishop Graeme said: "This was an ambitious but very necessary project for Fornham St Martin and I was delighted to attend the rededication service, and view the results of everyone’s hard work. Now the bells can ring out once more, welcoming everyone to a variety of church and community events with a joyous and uplifting sound".
The Revd Dr Andrew Miller said: "In 2017 the project was launched to replace the defective old oak bell frame with a new steel one, restore and tune the bells, have them rehung, and augmented from six to eight bells in total. It is very much thanks to the generosity of various donors and grant giving bodies and through the efforts of the parish holding fundraising events such as book sales and coffee mornings that this has been possible. "What has been crucial has been the role of the Suffolk Guild of Ringers, and in particular Neal Dodge who has worked so diligently alongside the churchwarden David Yates and the parochial church council to obtain such financial support and to drive and manage the project. They kick started it such that the required funds of more than £150,000 were raised and the bells in place to be rung for the first time on 27 September 2024".
Andrew added: "It is wonderful that they can now be part of our church life for weddings, funerals and calling people to worship and especially poignant that they could be rung on Remembrance Sunday last year. It is also wonderful that they are already rung regularly by a band led by the new bell captain Deborah Blumfield, who is also teaching new ringers with them, and via visiting bands keen to ring these bells. We were very grateful that Bishop Graeme came to rededicate the bells, as this project has been a huge part of life in the parish for so many years and is already greatly appreciated by those in the village community who have supported us".
St Martin's church was originally built on this site in the eleventh century, but the current building probably dates from the fifteenth century.
It is renowned for a wonderful Tudor porch to welcome visitors into the church where there are box pews and colourful hassocks.