AN ERIE silence has fallen over Cleobury Mortimer.

The bells of St Mary’s Church in the town are undergoing a refit for the first time in nearly 90 years.

It is the first time apart from a period at the beginning of the Second World War that chimes have not rung out over the town.

In the early part of the war the ringing of church bells was stopped as they were to be used to signal an invasion.

Situated within the spire of Saint Mary’s Church is a fine peal of six bells that were originally cast and installed by Abel Rudall in 1757. The last significant overhaul of the bells was in 1925 when they were rehung in a cast iron frame.

Now the ringers, on the recommendation of the Steeple Keeper, agreed that after 87 years it is time for them to have a further refit.

Work started in the tower mid January and some of the fittings were taken away for renovation or replacement.

The bells themselves will remain in the tower.

At the end of February the fittings will be returned and the bells rehung. They will be rung for the first time on Saturday, March 4.

During the time the bells are out of action the clock will continue to work, but the hour will not strike.

Nor will it be possible for a bell to be rung before the early Sunday and weekday services.

While work is going on in the tower it may be necessary for the centre trapdoors to be open to allow fittings to be removed and replaced by a winch, and when this is happening the room at the base of the tower will be out of bounds for safety reasons.

The work is going to cost around £12,000 and it is being financed by gifts specifically for the bells and by grants from bell-related charities. There will be no cost to church finances.

A major part of the necessary repairs required is to remove the old cast-in crown staples of the bells and their remains because as the crown staples corrode they are a common cause of old bells becoming cracked.