FOR the first time in living memory the bells of Dunterton Church near Milton Abbot will call parishioners to worship this Sunday.

The old bells at the ancient church have been painstakingly restored over a period of ten years and will be re-dedicated by the Archdeacon of Plymouth, the Rev Robin Ellis, this weekend.

Peter Bazeley, church organist at Sydenham Damerel, has spent years restoring the bells to their former glory.

He said: 'I actually started them about ten years ago — it was only a hobby then.

'They were rotting away — the headstocks were all completely deteriorated and all the clappers were worn out.'

Dunterton has three bells, made over a period of 130 years. They are constructed from a mixture of copper and tin, similar to gun metal, and decorated with Latin inscriptions.

'They're pretty old — the treble bell is from 1640, that's before the plague time. The tenor bell is about 1620, that's a rare bell, made by Robert Norton — he was quite a good founder.

'The 1750 bell was cast by a local man, John Pennington at Stoke Climsland,' said Mr Bazeley.

Dunterton is unusual in the area, in that the church has only three bells — most have six or eight.

The bells will be re-hung using winches in the same way as they were hundreds of years ago, although the headstocks have changed.

'We make them of steel now — they used to be elm wood but the beetles get at them,' Mr Bazeley said.

'Getting them up is the easy bit — the biggest one weighs a quarter of a ton and it takes a bit of pushing. You'd know if you dropped it on your foot!'

Rector of Dunterton, the Rev Greg Stanton, said Dunterton Church was once the focal point for the village of Dunterton, one of the largest settlements in the area until 200 years ago, when cholera wiped out the entire population.

'There has been a cell on the site for centuries, there was one for Tavistock Monastery.

'The site could date back as a place of worship to 500AD. The church as it is now is probably 13th century, with the tower added in the 14th century,' said Mr Stanton.

'It was a plague church — the story is that the children were quarantined in the church, to try and protect them from the unprotectable really.

'We have no water, no electricity — the church hasn't changed for centuries but spiritually, it's very alive,' he said.

'The bells are something we wanted to do for a long time — it's just happened to coincide with the Millennium.'

Mr Stanton said it was 'a good feeling' to know the bells can be used again after such a long time.

'It's like new life, really — the bells are there to call the faithful to worship — they can ring out now to do what they were put up for,' said Mr Stanton.

The rededication service will take place this Sunday at 3pm — all are welcome and refreshments will be provided after the service.