FOUR-hundred-year-old church bells which have been silent apart from an occasional chime since the 1980s are the centre of a project to have them peal again.

The three bells dating from the early 1600s in St Mary the Virgin's bell tower in Pillerton Hersey have long been declared dangerous to ring and can only be chimed by hand for special occasions.

A small band of villagers have got together to raise money to have repairs made so a proper peal can be rung. An open gardens event in the village on Sunday May 17 is hoped will encourage those not only interested in gardens to visit but also those who appreciate tradition.

Krystyna and Derrick Allen have taken the reins in leading the fundraising after a chance conversation with Graham Nabb, chairman of a bell ringing school, the Harry Windsor Ringing Centre, at nearby Kineton.

"He said one day that it was a betrayal to those all those years ago who would have struggled to raise money and pay for the bells to be installed to have them hanging there and not fully used and we agreed," said Mrs Allen.

"People will have worked very hard in those days to buy them and to do nothing would,indeed, be betrayal."

Mrs Allen said the wooden frame supporting the bells has rotted and needs to be replaced with a metal structure. One of the bells has a poor tone and they hope to buy a replacement and keep the poorer one for the clock chime. They are also looking at purchasing a fourth bell.

"The wooden frame will have to be restored and replaced so it can be seen from below, but a metal frame would hold the bells. The church has recently had £25,000 spent on it to create a new kitchen area and toilet so it can used as a community area as well as a place of worship," Mrs Allen explained.

"We are looking at around £40,000 to restore the bells and my husband is making applications to various bodies who have pledged support as long as the village raises a significant amount."

Two recent small events raised £1,500 and around £4,000 has been promised from historic churches funds.

"We are only a small community of around 60 houses so we are trying to organise events that will bring people in from outside to lessen the fundraising burden. We think that if we raise around £10,000 or £15,000 ourselves we will be able to get the rest of the money from various charities. The work will be done by Taylors of Loughborough and we hope to have raised enough money by next summer."

As well as several gardens being open there will also be a wild flower meadow and allotments. Cream teas will be served in the church.

A leaflet highlighting all the gardens can be obtained for £5 from the church or at each of the gardens which are well signposted. The gardens will be open between 2pm and 5.30pm.