Hertford County Bell Restoration Fund

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The HCACR Bell Restoration Fund is a registered charity (No. 264847) which exists to provide grants to church authorities to help them provide, maintain or improve bells and bell installations, or maintain the fabric of towers and belfries. The area covered by the Fund is the county of Hertfordshire, although churches in the parishes of Chipping Barnet, Monken Hadley and Great Stanmore are also eligible.

The Fund was created in 1972, since when the value of its assets and the size of the grants awarded have increased steadily. Grants totalling over £170,000 have been made since that time. Apart from investment income, the Fund's income comes from, and as a result of the activities of, ringers within the county. Many towers make an annual donation equivalent to the income from one wedding, there are donations - many covenanted - from individuals, and the Association usually donates its surplus income each year to the Fund. The Association subscription is traditionally set to ensure that around 50% of subscription income can be made available in this way.

Church authorities wishing to apply for a grant from the Fund should send full details of the proposed work, planned timescales, the present fund-raising status, and all estimates received, to the Fund's Secretary.

Following an application for a grant, then, once the Fund's Secretary has all the required information, the Fund's Trustees will meet to discuss the application. If they decide that the proposed work is eligible then they may make a recommendation for a grant at a following Association General Meeting - usually the Annual General Meeting at the end of the following April. The Association itself decides whether to award a grant, and if so then how much, based upon the Trustees' recommendation. Any grant is usually payable at the completion of work, although earlier payment is sometimes possible.

The grants awarded by the Fund since its creation are shown in the table below.

Anybody with any interest in the bells of Hertfordshire is encouraged to donate. For a gift aid and/or standing order form with bank details, please contact the BRF secretary who will be delighted to hear from you!

YearTowerGrantPercentEstimated costPurpose
1974 Sarratt £100 21% £476 Rehanging
1975 Stevenage £50 17% £300 Bell repair
1976 Ashwell £100 0.7% £15,000 Tower repair
1976 Rushden £100 7% £1,502 Augmentation
1977 Lemsford £300 7% £4,450 New 6
1978 Little Gaddesden £0 0% £7,100 New 6
1978 Watton-at-Stone £500 34% £1,480 New 8
1978 Albury £250 18% £1,355 Augmentation
1979 Ware £500 2% £22,000 Tower repair
1979 Nettleden £200 14% £1,387 Rehanging
1980 Little Hadham £500 24% £2,064 Augmentation
1980 Rickmansworth £250 43% £576 Bell repair
1980 Harpenden £200 1% £20,000 Tower repair
1980 Knebworth £200 0.7% £30,000 Tower repair
1981 Hunsdon £100 10% £1,000 Rehanging
1981 South Mymms £100 0.3% £30,000 Tower repair
1981 Furneux Pelham £500 5% £10,000 Rehanging
1982 Kimpton £500 5% £9,357 Augmentation
1982 Great Munden £200 47% £300 Bell repair
1983 Hemel Hempstead £1,000 0.4% £250,000 Tower repair
1984 Anstey £250 9% £2,737 Bell repair
1984 Aldbury £500 3% £17,740 Augmentation
1985 Codicote £500 5% £10,000 Rehanging
1985 North Mymms £1,000 6% £18,060 Rehanging
1985 Great Hormead £50 8% £615 Bell repair
1985 Widford £500 6% £9,000 Rehanging
1985 Hinxworth £150 10% £1,535 Rehanging
1987 Lilley £600 7% £8,612 Augmentation
1987 Harpenden £50 8% £600 Clappers
1987 Hertford, All Saints £150 10% £1,531 Clappers
1987 Tring £1,000 4% £25,000 Rehanging
1987 Berkhamsted £150 3% £4,416 Repairs
1988 Kings Langley £500 2% £30,000 Tower repair
1989 Albury £400 9% £4,648 Bell recast
1989 Bishop's Stortford £200 5% £4,200 Overhaul
1990 Harpenden £500 1.5% £32,000 Recasting
1990 Essendon £1,500 4% £37,000 Augmentation
1990 St Albans, St Peter £1,500 1.1% £140,000 Restoration
1992 Barnet £2,000 7.1% £28,000 Rehanging
1993 Benington £1,000 25% £4,000 Rehanging
1993 Bushey Heath £130 24.5% £530 Repairs
1993 Standon £2,500 7.1% £35,000 Rehanging
1993 Lilley £1,000 2.56% £39,000 Tower repairs
1993 Abbots Langley £2,000 10% £20,000 Rehanging
1994 Barkway £2,000 9.5% £21,000 Rehanging
1994 Flamstead £2,000 1% £200,000 Tower repairs
1994 Hertford, St Andrew £1,000 13% £7,500 Partial rehanging
1995 Lilley £500 11% £4,500 Augmentation
1995 St Albans, St Stephen £500 13% £3,750 Bell repairs
1995 Ridge £2,000 5% £41,000 Rehanging
1997 Potten End £500 1.7% £29,000 Chime
1997 Northchurch £1,000 15.6% £6,400 Bell repair
1997 Great Offley £2,500 8.33% £30,000 Rehanging
1998 Westmill £2,500 5.3% £39,000 Rehanging
1998 Sandon £2,500 11.4% £22,000 Augmentation
1998 Kimpton £1,000 1.67% £60,000 Tower restoration
1998 Ashwell £500 11.9% £4,200 Overhaul fittings
1998 Great Amwell £300 36.14% £830 Clapper refurbishment
1999 Stocking Pelham £500 9.09% £5,500 Rehanging
1999 Bishop's Stortford, Holy Trinity £500 5.15% £9,700 Rehanging
1999 Great Offley £2,500 8.3% £30,000 Rehanging
2000 Hemel Hempstead £1,000 2.94% £34,000 Tower repairs
2000 Knebworth £1,000 11.11% £9,000 Tower repairs
2001 Ashwell £2,500 8.33% £30,000 Tower repairs
2001 Wallington £250 41.67% £600 New ropes
2002 Little Wymondley £5,000 22.73% £22,000 Augmentation
2002 Ware £2,000 4% £50,000 Tower repairs
2003 Sawbridgeworth £10,000 10.42% £96,000 Tower repairs
2003 Kings Langley £110 17.74% £620 Bell repairs
2004 Great Gaddesden £2,000 10.53% £19,000 Tower repairs
2004 Welwyn £1,000 28.57% £3,500 Bell repairs
2005 Great Berkhamsted £700 12.33% £5,675 Sound proofing
2005 Monken Hadley £500 24.93% £2,000 Bell repairs
2005 Thorley £1,000 4.15% £24,050 Tower repairs
2006 Bishop's Stortford £3,000 13.9% £21,588 Bell repairs
2006 King's Walden £4,500 14.54% £30,928 Bell repairs
2007 Walkern £848 21.11% £4,023 Bell repairs
2007 Codicote £250 21.28% £1,175 Tower Repairs
2008 Pirton £5,000 24.02% £20,815 Rehanging
2009 Hertford St Andrew £250 48.73% £513 Bell repairs
2009 Hemel Hempstead £1,300 20.00% £6,500 Refurbishment
2009 Northchurch £100 27.78% £360 Clapper repair
2009 St Albans St Michaels £1,000 10.16% £9,838 Refurbishment
2009 Hatfield £2,000 24.19% £8,267 Bearings
2009 Weston £9,000 23.84% £37,748 Turning & refitting
2009 St Albans Abbey £10,726 3.15% £340,000 New ring of 13
2010 St Ippolyts £795 20.18% £3,939 Bell repairs
2010 Sandon £2,000 13.82% £14,467 Tower repairs
2010 Sandridge £5,000 17.25% £28,987 Refurbishment
2010 Bushey Heath £200 17.70% £1,130 Ropes
2011 Aston £200 9.61% £2,081 Bearings
2011 Graveley £1,000 7.46% £13,396 Tower repairs
2011 Apsley End £6,000 20.00% £35,000 Refurbishment
2012 Baldock £10,000 1.30% £770,000 Tower repairs
2012 Hitchin £11,000 6.92% £159,000 Major work
2013 Pirton £1,000 18.18% £5,500 False ceiling
2014 Bushey £10,000 11% £90,000 Major work
2015 Widford £6,000 16% £35,000 Tower repairs
2015 Ware £7,500 10% £75,000 Tower repairs
2016 Great Stanmore £1,000 4% £25,000 Bell repairs
2017 Broxbourne £5,000 9.52% £52,496 Tower repairs
2017 Thorley £250 9.26% £2,700 Wheel
2018 Norton £150 33.78% £444 Clapper Repair
2018 Much Hadham £7,000 11.24% £62,275 Refurbishment
2019 Cottered £2,000 24.52% £8,156 Augmentation
2020 Furneux Pelham £2,928 53.33% £5,490 Lower Ringing Room
2021 Little Munden £5,000 10.48% £47,725 Replace Bell Frame
2021 Redbourn £250 24.51% £1,020 Rebush Clappers
2022 Weston £300 10.81% £2,775 Stay box
2022 Hertford, All Saints £2,500 12.33% £20,275 Rehang
2022 Bishop's Stortford £13,500 10.55% £127,962 Augmentation
2023 Great Amwell £5,000 6.62% £74,582 Tower repais
2023 Hitchin £470 10.00% £4,700 Rope Guides
2023 Tring £400 10.00% £4,000 Refurbishment

Notes:
Tring (1987) drew only half of the approved grant.
Rushden (1976) and Hertford All Saints (1987) did not draw their grants.
Baldock (2012) total costs include work to the church as well as the tower.


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