Bells to ring out in belated greeting for new Ellesmere vicar
The bells of a parish church will ring out this weekend as a belated welcome to the new vicar.
A team of expert ringers will undertake a three-hour marathon at St Mary's Parish Church in Ellesmere to complete what is known as the Grandsire triples - one of the standard methods used in bell-ringing.
They were last heard sounding across Ellesmere 60 years ago.
The peal – involving more than five thousand changes-- was due to be rung when the Rev Pat Hawkins arrived in Ellesmere early last year to take over as vicar from the Rev Philip Edge.
But restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic have meant the event has been delayed by 18 months.
It will now be performed between 3pm and 6pm this Saturday,
The Grandsire triples were first rung at St Mary’s in 1730 and have been rung only three times since - in 1894, 1924 and 1961. Only 17 peals have ever been rung at the church.
