A GARGANTUAN effort of skill and precision was required of volunteers over the festive period as the six bells at St George's Church in Woolhope were removed from their ancient mountings.

The bells, one of which is over 600 years old and dates back to about 1400, had been getting more difficult to ring due to wear and tear of the plain bearings.

Having not had any work done on them for over 100 years, a project to refurbish them was started in October 2012.

Over the last three years the Woolhope bell-ringers managed to collect, through donations, fundraising and grants (promised on completion of the work) a total of £28,500.

Despite falling short of the £30,000 target figure, when a gap in the bell-hanger's busy schedule was offered, the opportunity to place an order with Andrew Nicholson Engineering was seized.

On December 28, 2015 the bell fittings were dismantled by local volunteers Nick Cooper Tomkins from Ewyas Harold, Roger Moss from Mordiford and Mike Pudge from Woolhope, so that the bells were ready to be lowered through trap doors to the ground floor of the tower on January 5. The headstocks were removed and then the bells were taken out of the church on a pallet truck for the first time in 100 years.

On January 8 all six bells were safely transported to Nicholson's in Dorset for new headstocks and bearings to be fitted. Great care will be taken to preserve the heritage of these ancient bells. It is anticipated that the necessary work will be completed by the end of March so that the bells will be returned and refitted ready to be rung for the first time to celebrate St George's Day at St George's Church on April 23, 2016.