THE Archdeacon of Plymouth will be rededicating the newly refurbished bells and the watchmaker?s tomb at Lydford Church next month.
The six bells at St Petroc?s Church were in need of renovation and £16,000 was raised two years ago for the work to go ahead.
The five original bells date back to 1789 but were pitted and in danger of cracking. The clappers needed modernising and the wooden headstocks replacing with metal ones. New bearings and refurbished rope wheels were required.
Captain of the Tower Bob Pengelly ? who celebrated 50 years of bellringing in the village last year ? said they had hoped to have the work completed last year, but it was delayed as bellhanger Bob Parker of Taunton was busy. The work finally started last November, with the more recent sixth bell, which was added in 1921, also being refurbished to a lesser extent.
The work was completed and the bells rehung in time to ring for the first time, appropriately, for the wedding of one of the bellringers on April 12. The Archdeacon of Plymouth will carry out the official re-dedication at the service at 11am on June 1.
The dedication slab from the famous watchmaker?s tomb in the churchyard has been removed and placed on the wall of the church to preserve it. A replacement slate slab has been placed on the tomb. This will also be re-dedicated at the service by the archdeacon.