Keltek Trust

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Keltek Trust

Helping churches acquire second-hand/redundant church bells to be installed for English style full-circle bell-ringing.

The art and science of ringing bells in a seemingly endless variety of sequences with a distinct and regular beat has developed over several centuries in the United Kingdom, and is recognised as being distinctly British. The sound of this type of ringing is an established and valued part of our national heritage. The continuation and further development of this unique tradition depends entirely on

the use of bells in Church towers. Through ringing of its bells the Church can become a focus of pride for the whole community. English style bell-ringing is not restricted to the United Kingdom. There are established ringing societies in Africa, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the USA. For centuries Churches have augmented their peal of bells or installed a peal of bells. Most bells are newly cast, but an increasing number are “recycled” from other churches. The Trust helps Churches acquire surplus or redundant bells which will be hung for English-style bell-ringing.

09/03/2026

We are pleased to announce that we have been given the three bells from the closed church of St Giles, Darlton, Nottinghamshire by the Southwell & Nottingham Diocese. We are grateful to the Churches Building Council for permitting the retuning of individual bells, without this we would not have accepted the gift.

13/02/2026

A lot of our bells are being moved yesterday and today. Here are some of them, a ring of eight which hopefully will be installed at Hoxne, Suffolk and a ring of six which will hopefully be installed at Weston, Nottinghamshire plus a couple of single bells. Photo courtesy of Sophie Sikorsky.

11/01/2026

Progress is being made at St Canice, Katoomba, NSW. The bell-frame for the light ring of five has been installed and the bells will follow ASAP. Photo: Tom Perrins at work, photo credit: Ron Shepherd.

22/10/2025

Following our post of 23rd September regarding the removal of the ring of eight from the closed church of St Mary, Aberavon we are delighted to announce that subject to faculty and fund-raising they are to be installed at St Gabriel, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. The Keltek Trust is donating the ring complete with their fittings; it is likely to be our last significant donation until we receive more legacies. We have a policy of spending the capital and not investing and spending the interest. All our legacy receipts are now spent!
Photograph courtesy of Jim Crowther.

07/10/2025

Subject to Faculty and fund-raising it is hoped to restore the unringable ring of four bells at St Mary the Virgin, Stockleigh English, Devon and augment to five. The Keltek Trust has offered to donate a bell removed from the closed church of St Anne, Warrington, Cheshire to be the treble of five.

23/09/2025

Following the Covid pandemic more churches are closing including some with rings of bells. It is a difficult decision to decide if bells should remain even though they may never be rung again or to give them a new home in an open church. We were made aware of the closure of Aberavon church by ringers and subsequently approached by Church in Wales officials. Their decision was to part with the ring of bells and for them to continue to ring out in a new home. We are pleased to report that we are financing their removal and are acquiring the ring for re-use. The removal was completed yesterday and we hope to make an announcement regarding their future shortly.

17/07/2025

When the Whitechapel Bell Foundry ceased operations the contents & stock were auctioned during April 2017. This included a quantity of bells. We acquired or secured ten bells but were outbid on others. This month has seen five of these bells installed as part of two new rings of bells. The light ring of eight at Richmond, NSW, Australia incorporated two stock bells and three were installed as part of the eight at Upper Riccarton, Christchurch, NZ. Two others are part of the light ring of six at Palmerston, NT, Australia. Of the remaining three, two are on offer to Todwick, S. Yorkshire as part of their proposed augmentation project and one is on offer to a church in Hampshire where it is proposed to install a ring of bells.

Address

The Kloof, Lower Kingsdown Road
Bath
SN138BG

Website

http://www.keltektrust.org.uk/

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