Click here for a virtual tour of The Priory and its repaired bell tower.
The present tower which you can see on the church today was not a part of the original design but was actually added in the middle of the 15th century. The original towers on the north-west and south-west corners of the church had previously blown down in the great storm of 1222 and were not replaced for 300 years.
In 1776 the 5 medieval bells were recast to make 8 bells, and these can still be heard to ring across Dunstable today.
In 2019 the church was fortunate enough to be awarded major funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This, together with additional generous funding from Priory Church Preservation Trust, Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust, Church Care / Wolfson Grant and All Churches Trust, enabled repairs on the bell tower, ensuring the heritage of this unique building is maintained for future generations and passers-by are not killed by falling masonry.
The scaffolding finally came down in time for Christmas 2019 and the traditional mortar cured in time for the 8 bells to be rung again at Easter 2020.
This critical high-level work to the tower included:
- the falling tower parapet was carefully dismantled and rebuilt with ashlar, whilst retaining the existing flint/stone chequer panels
- the tower parapet flashings were renewed
- the parapet was tied to the turret tower and the turret repointed
- other essential high-level repairs were made to cracked masonry, falling cement render and the belfry louvres
Click here for a virtual tour of The Priory and its repaired bell tower.
