The bell in Brimington Cemetery has been restored to its original location after grant funding via the parish council enabled this work to take place.
It was originally removed from the cemetery as the beam it was hung on was corroding, making it unsafe. Brimington Parish Council provided funding for the Chesterfield Borough Council to undertake the work in Brimington Cemetery.
Councillor Dave Culley, chair of Brimington Parish Council, said: “We are pleased to enable the restoration of this piece of Brimington’s heritage. The cemetery is so important to many families in the village, and it was great that a local company was chosen to carry out the works.”
Councillor Martin Stone, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for climate change, planning and the environment, said: “I’m delighted that we could work with Brimington Parish Council to restore this bell. It was an original feature in the cemetery and it’s great that we can restore this piece of history back to its original condition and place.”
The bell was cast in 1878 by Taylor’s Bell Foundry in Loughborough, who are still producing bells to this day. It would originally have been used to let members of the community know that a funeral was being held so that they could turn out to pay their respects.
To restore the bell, local company C. L. Brookes Ltd was contracted to undertake the works. This involved stripping and sand blasting the bell before powder coating it to ensure it lasts for many years.
Rehanging the bell was no small task as new fittings and brackets needed to be fabricated to ensure the bell could be securely hung. Work was also needed to protect the surrounding stonework and hide the original fitting points which were no longer suitable.
