Maidenhead & Windsor

An historic church has launched a fundraising campaign which it hopes will cause its coffers to go ker-ching so its bells can continue to ring.

Holy Trinity Church in Cookham, Maidenhead must raise £70,000 so that its historic bells, which have rung for generations, can continue to be used at Sunday services, weddings and bell-ringing sessions.

Six of the eight bells at the Maidenhead church - the archway of which is Norman - date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The oldest bell was made in Reading in 1638.

The remaining two bells were added in 1946 as a memorial to those who had lost their lives in the two World Wars.

Barry Sheppard, 65, a member of the church bellringing team explained that some of the bell mechanisms were installed in 1913 when the bells were rehung on a steel frame.

More work followed in 1946 with the installation of the new bells, but little work has been done in the last 60 years.

Now the ravages of time are starting to take their toll on the mechanisms, as Mr Sheppard explained: "The bells are beginning to behave a bit like an old car."

The Maidenhead church is hoping to install new mechanisms in the tower including a new frame, pulleys, wheels and clappers.

It is also hoped that the bells can be retuned and Mr Sheppard told the Express: "We will keep the bells, but all the other parts are well beyond their life."

He explained that the bells are not dangerous in their present condition, but warned that they will become "unringable" without attention, and said: "What would happen is they would become more and more difficult to ring."

Mr Sheppard said it was hoped that the renovations can begin in either September or January so that the bells can be rung at Christmas and Easter, which he said the parish council have requested.

The fundraising campaign has got off to a good start according to David Harrold, chairman of the church finance committee, who said that the Maidenhead church has so far received £21,000 alongside another £20,000 in pledges.

However, he revealed that most of the money has come from sources close to the church and explained: "We are now looking a bit wider."

Mr Harrold said that the church was looking at a variety of fundraising ideas including holding Call My Bluff and Wine Tasting events.

Potential donors can also arrange to visit the bell tower.

For more information of how to help call the church office on 01628 529661, captain of the bell tower Charles Walmsley on 01628 522255 or Mr Sheppard on 01628 522459.

ic Berkshire ~ Maidenhead