Bell Tower at Chichester Cathedral being repaired

The tower was built in the 1400s.

Author: Lettie BuxtonPublished 18th Oct 2020

"Essential" repair works are taking place at Chichester Cathedral's Bell Tower.

It includes the removal of plants from the tower's high and mid-levels with the help of a platform lift.

DBR Limited are leading on the repairs to the Bell Tower, which was built in the 1400s.

Chichester Cathedral is said to be "unusual" among English cathedrals as the bells are not held in a belfry above the church, but in a separate tower or 'campanile'.

It stands 107 feet high and 43 feet square at the base, and the walls are just over eight feet thick.

Its upper levels, which can be accessed by a steep narrow spiral staircase, include the Ringing Room, which also contains the clock mechanism.

The cathedral has an active band of bell ringers, or campanologists, who practice throughout the week to accompany Sunday services.