Other much needed work in the bell tower will also be carried out at the same time as the work on the bells is carried out. The details of the main work which will be carried out are as follows:

Repairs to the Roof

The laths on the roof are starting to deteriorate, and a temporary repair was made in 2016 following a partial collapse.  The tiling to the roof of the tower and the laths will be removed and the laths replaced with more substantial tiling battens on sarking felt.  The existing tiles will then be re-laid. The access door will also be repaired to make it more weather tight.

Anti-bird Netting

Currently the tower louvres are covered with plastic anti-pigeon netting to stop pigeons and other birds getting into the bell chamber.  This is beginning to deteriorate.  It will be replaced with stainless steel wire netting.

Ringing Chamber

The ringing chamber walls are currently lime washed, but this finish is wearing badly. Also some of the stonework is deteriorating.  The ringing chamber will be decorated and the walls repainted with an approved vapour-permeable paint which will be far less prone to wear.  Storage cupboards will also be installed.

Repairs to the Stone Staircase

There is a steep stone spiral staircase built into the southeast corner of the tower, which leads from the ringing chamber up to the clock chamber.

The staircase treads are very worn, and, rather than being repaired, these have been covered with a timber casing, which has now become very loose.

The intention is to repair the timber cladding and install a handrail.

Improved Lighting

The bell chamber is currently lit with a single filament bulb.  The lighting in the bell chamber will be improved, with lights both above and below the bell frame including emergency lighting.

Lighting will also be installed on the stairs.

Clock Automatic Restart Unit

The intention is to install an auto restart unit which will monitor and control the mains power to the hour strike mechanism and the synchronous clock movement.  This will ensure that both the hour strike and the clock movement are restarted at the correct time in the event of a power failure, and are also automatically adjusted for daylight saving time.  At the moment any such adjustments have to be done manually.

Wooden Screen

The ringing chamber is separated from the nave by an oak screen with a single door approximately 2’ wide. Separate pledged funding has been raised to replace the oak screen with a glass screen.

The glass screen will let light from the west window of the ringing chamber into the church, and has also been designed so that the bells will fit through the central doorway should they need to be removed in the future.  It will be installed in the centre of the archway between the ringing chamber and the nave.  Moving the screen to the centre of the archway will increase the space available in the ringing chamber, which will give more room for the ringers and will allow for an improved rope circle.

Restoring the Coat of Arms

There is a large William IV Royal Coat of Arms painting on the south wall of the ringing chamber which is in a poor condition.

This will be restored and moved back to its original position over the south door of the nave.