The sound of bells at one of Nottingham's most historic churches will ring out for the King’s Coronation after a year in near-silence. The bells at St Mary’s Church are preparing to be heard again, to celebrate the crowning of King Charles III – the 29th monarch to reign during the church’s existence.
The bells at the 500-year-old church in Lace Market have not been rung since May 2022 due to structural risks. One of the ringers had been the first to spot the south wall moving during a bell-ringing session.
Engineers came to assess the damage, concluding the cost for repairs would be at least £185,000 due to the amount of scaffolding needed, then dismantling and re-building the wall. In a race against time, the total has now been reached through a mixture of grant funding and community donations.
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Vicar at St Mary’s, Tom Gillum, said: “It was a shock to learn about the wall.
"The bells are extremely heavy and whenever they are rung, they put pressure on the beams. This impacts the building, so we had to make the difficult decision to cease ringing, even over Christmas.
“It became clear that without significant funds, we may not be able to ring them for some time. But since as far back as the reign of Henry IV in 1399, these bells have rung out at every coronation, and it was difficult to imagine that they would remain silent on the upcoming occasion for our new King.”
Efforts to raise the money for the restoration of the church walls, spurred on by the coronation on Saturday, May 6, has meant the team at St Mary’s has raised all the money needed. The Nottingham Civic Society kicked off with a generous grant followed by many donations from the community, including several large contributions.
These funds have meant contractors can begin work that will last around 20 weeks. While work won’t be complete in time for the coronation, the scaffolding will be in place meaning the bells can be rung safely for the celebration.
Tom Gillum added: “It’s brilliant news we now have enough to complete the repairs and ensure the bells will ring for the King – and hopefully for another 500 years. We couldn’t have succeeded in this fundraiser without the incredible support shown by all those who have donated. Every little bit goes such a long way to ensuring our community can continue to enjoy and celebrate with the beautiful bells of St Mary’s.”
St Mary’s is Grade I listed and the largest remaining Medieval building in Nottingham. It is the third church to stand on the historic site in the Lace Market. Referred to in the Domesday Survey, then in the 12th century, Nottingham was burnt down three times and St Mary’s (along with St Peters and St Nicholas) was destroyed and rebuilt. Evidence can still be seen of the Norman church.
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