Devon Church Bell Restoration Fund

We’ve had a very busy year with grants being paid as projects are finally completed after the Covid slow down.  The total paid in 2022 was £33,500.  We’ve had three quick turnarounds in terms of the application for a grant being received and the work completed.  Tiverton St Paul having 6 new clappers, the gudgeon on the tenor at Sampford Peverell being replaced and general maintenance being completed at Cotleigh.  These three small projects were given a total of £1,880 between them.

The Devon Church Bell Restoration Fund (DCBRF) is a registered charity (no. 276490) which exists to help finance bell restoration work within Devon. 

How to donate

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What does the DCBRF do?

What does the DCBRF do?

Devon has more church bells than any other county and whilst our financial position has changed in the last few years, we still need to raise funds to maintain the bell installations. To contribute to this fund or for more information about the DCBRF please contact the Secretary Janet Deem () or the Treasurer Mary Mears.

Grants paid out in 2022

  • Cadbury £6,000
  • Milton Abbot £9,000
  • East Anstey £5,700
  • Cotleigh £1,200
  • Butterleigh £2,400
  • Denbury £9,200

Grants paid out in 2023

  • Tiverton St Paul £300
  • Sampford Peverell £380
  • Bigbury £6,250
  • Ilfracombe, Pip & J £2,000
  • Hatherleigh £8,100
  • Stoodleigh £900
  • Uplyme £950
  • Huntshaw £3,700

Woodbury - passing through the ringing chamber

All of these grants are for work on the bells to make them:

  1. ringable
  2. easier to ring, or
  3. safe to ring

We have committed funds of £21,900. On top of this, eight application forms have been sent out but not returned and there is one project waiting to be discussed at our next meeting.  One of our small but steady streams of income, Smile.Amazon has stopped operating so as ever all donations however, big or small are always gratefully received.  Most years will see us commit virtually all our income to projects. If all the application forms sent are returned during 2023, we will soon eat through the cash we are currently holding and it may be necessary to lower the 10% we like to give.

Woodbury Tenor with canon retaining headstock
Woodbury: Tenor with canon retaining headstock
Woodbury - waiting for the forklift
Woodbury: waiting for the forklift