Silent for 150 Years: Welsh Church Bells Will Finally Ring This Easter Sunday
After 150 years of silence, St Mary's Church in Betws y Coed will ring its full set of nine bells for the first time at Easter.
Welsh Church Bells Ring for First Time in Over 150 Years at Easter Service in Betws y Coed
St Mary's Church in Betws y Coed, North Wales, will hear its full ring of bells for the very first time during an Easter Day family Eucharist and blessing of the lambs at 11am on Sunday.
The historic moment ends a wait of more than 150 years. When the church was first built in the 19th century, plans for a full bell ring were drawn up but never completed.
The tower now houses nine bells. Eight were transferred from St John's Church in Porthmadog, which closed in 2024. The ninth is the original 1873 bell cast by John Warner of London, which has served as the clock and chiming bell. The heaviest bell weighs over 10 hundredweight, and the full ring is tuned in G.
The project originated in 2019 during conversations at the Llanrwst Eisteddfod, where experienced bell ringers identified the need for a new practice location. Nigel Thomas serves as Tower Captain, leading volunteers through the restoration effort.
It was wonderful and emotional to hear the test ring. This project creates a new community of ringers.
Rev Stuart Elliott, the church's vicar, described the experience.
The approximately £100,000 project received funding from the Keltek Trust, Hobart Trust, and Bernard Piggott Trust among other donors. Following the Easter service, ringers will perform a Quarter Peal lasting 45 minutes using the Plain Bob Triples sequence.
North Wales Church Ends 150 Year Wait as Historic Bells Finally Sound for Easter Worship
Four of the ringers who will perform at Easter also rang the final Quarter Peal at St John's Church in Porthmadog before its closure, creating a poignant connection between the two communities. The bells that once called worshippers in Porthmadog will now call a new congregation in Betws y Coed.
The completion of this project represents a remarkable act of faith and perseverance from the local community, bringing to life a vision that was first imagined over a century and a half ago.
The Crusader's Opinion
While churches across Britain are closing their doors and bells are being silenced, here is a story that goes against the tide. A community refused to let 150 years of silence become permanent. They rescued bells from a closing church and gave them new life, new purpose, and a new home. This is what Christendom looks like when it fights back. Not with anger, but with faith, generosity, and stubborn hope. Every bell that rings on Easter morning is a declaration that the Church is not dead, not dying, and not going quietly. Let that sound carry across every valley in Wales and beyond.
Take Action
- Visit: Attend the Easter Day family Eucharist at St Mary's Church, Betws y Coed at 11am on Easter Sunday to witness this historic moment.
- Support Bell Restoration: Donate to the Keltek Trust at keltek.org to help preserve church bells across the UK.
- Learn Bell Ringing: Contact your local church about learning to ring bells. The Association of Ringing Teachers helps new ringers get started.
- Donate: Support Christian heritage preservation through www.TheShepherdsShield.org
- Share: Post this story to remind people that churches are still being built up, not just torn down.
