Bells ring at Imber Church after 60 year silence

A belfry in a deserted village on Salisbury Plain was the scene of unusual activity over the August Bank Holiday weekend. 

After over sixty years of silence the bells range out from the church of St Giles, Imber.  This was the village that was abandoned in 1943 when the government evacuated the residents as they needed the area for military training. Villlagers never returned to their homes which have fallen into disrepair, been demolished and replaced by skeleton buildings used for Army training.  Since then the Grade 1 listed church has remained in its isolated setting overlooking its unlikely neighbours linked by rural history and modern warfare.    

Within the past two years the church has become the focus of interest of a Wilton resident who has taken on the role of volunteer custodian.  Since his retirement from the Churches Conservation Trust, Neil Skelton has worked hard to restore the church and his aim has been to make it accessible to the general public

on the days the Ministry of Defence allows access.

Neil writes, "The idea of installing a ring of bells

in the church has been my dream for a number of years

and until three years ago looked set to remain no more than that. To my amazement the various

hurdles were overcome and permission to proceed came a little over one

month ago. The

bells were installed on August Bank Holiday Monday and were rung briefly

by those who had helped with the project."

It is planned to ring the bells before this year's annual church service at Imber which will be held at 3 pm on Saturday 18th September when roads across the Plain will be open to the public  - -http://www.warminsterpeople.co.uk/groups/churches/Date-annual-service-Imber-church/story-5769283-detail/story.html

It is possible to see the bells being rung on YouTube - 'Imber test.avi' and

'Another clip of Imber 30/8/10'