Photos
Bell Tower repair project 2011
Between May and November 2011 urgent repairs have been carried to the eroded brickwork and failed flat roofs of the Bell Tower, to stop rain getting inside. Some of us went up the scaffolding on 15 July to see the eroded bricks being replaced.
During this time the Memorial Bells have being restored and the belfry staircase made safe for visitors. Lights have been added to illuminate some of the names on the bells, and lots of work is being done to find out more about the 200 men whose names are on the bells and create a website and exhibition about them.
The bells have been lowered to the belfry floor, one beam at a time, removed from the beam, then cleaned and re-enameled. The finished bells have been fitted back to the beam with new insulators and bolts, then raised back into place. The clavier and clappers were restored at Gillett & Johnston's workshops - where the bells were made - and the whole mechanism has been re-assembled with new wires.
An Open Day to celebrate the completion of the work, including the rededication of the bells as a war memorial, will take place on Saturday 19 November - all welcome.
Bell tower soon to be repaired
18 May scaffolding is starting to go up
It took less than a fortnight to get this scaffolding up
9 July 2011, this bell has been taken down but not yet cleaned
Richard from the Royal British Legion taking a close-up look at bells lowered before restoration
Work in progress on the bells
12 /7/11 Three bells fully restored, three cleaned
The bigger bells will be painted with graphite when they are hanging
The old wires from clappers to clavier are labelled ready for the reinstallation
Barry from Gillett & Johnston of Croydon
Peter from Gilett & Johnston
Ready to be bolted back on to the beam for lifting
The Unknown Warrior before restoration
Work in progress, with West tower repaired in 2009 in the background
East side of tower with bricks removed
West side of tower showing new bricks
Visiting the very top of the tower!
View of the Olympic Stadium with the church roof in the foreground
Danny the foreman from PAYE Stonework
Brick dust on a belfry opening
Bowed metalwork on tower window before repair
Tower window before repair
Finished work on high-level bricks
Restored clavier back from the Gillett & Johnston workshop
Restored clappers ready to be re-fitted
New lights illuminate the bells
Belfry with restored bells, lights and new handrail
Learning to play the bells 1
Learning to play the bells 2
Learning to play the bells 3
New handrail for the belfry staircase
Bell Tower finished 6 November 2011
