Hartlepool church bells are lifted back in place by crane in once-in-a-century event

The bells, which were last tuned 115 years ago, had become increasingly difficult to ring in recent years and were even in danger of becoming unringable if they were not refurbished and retuned.

They were removed by crane from the bell tower back in July and restored to their former glory at John Taylor & Co, a bell foundry in Loughborough.

On Tuesday, November 15, they returned to All Saints’ Church, in Stranton, as each of the eight bells was lifted by crane to the 60-foot high belfry tower.

A crowd defied the pouring rain to witness the “once-in-a-lifetime” event and people cheered and clapped as the first bell reached the tower.

The newly installed Vicar of All Saints’ Church, the Reverend John Bell, blessed the bells before they went back in the tower.

Mr Bell has said the bells had been “sorely missed”.

“It’s absolutely fantastic to finally get out bells back,” he said.

"It will be fantastic to hear them ringing throughout the community again.

"I think we are probably looking at late January, February some time before they’ll be fully installed and ready to ring out across the community again.”

The peal of eight bells had been out of tune since 1907 when three existing bells – one of which dated back to 1520 - were retuned and five more added.

A 1664 bell which could not be safely tuned has now been replaced by a special bell paying tribute to bell ringer Andy Kaye, who sadly passed away in September at the age of 55.

The bell was donated on behalf of Andy’s family by fellow bell ringer Jim Crowther, 75, from Whickham, and has their and Andy’s names engraved.

Andy’s wife, Ailsa Robinson, 45, has been a bell ringer herself since 1988, with daughters Iona Robinson-Kaye, 15, Cleo Robinson-Kaye, 14, and Lara Robinson-Kaye, 11, also bell ringing.

Ailsa, who moved to Hartlepool five years ago, said: “We needed a new bell and it came about the same time as my husband Andy died in September.

"Jim very kindly offered to have the bell engraved in his memory and because of us also being part of his memory, he also included mine and the girls’ names.

“It’s really special. It means a lot to us.

“He would have been thrilled. He would have been telling everybody."

Project manager Andrew Frost has described the event as very special, adding: "It’s going to be probably another month, before we hear the bells ringing properly, maybe even longer than that.

"The last time they were rung was back in May."

The bells will once again be rung by a large community of ringers from Hartlepool, who range in age from 11 to 80. Mr Frost has encouraged people interested in bell ringing to get in touch with All Saints’ Church.

"We want to be able to ring all the bells in the town for the Coronation next May. This is a national event when as many bells will be rung,” he said.

"Please get in touch, we’ll teach you properly how to ring the bells and it will be a great event.”