The Oldest Peal of Bells in the World

Ipswich is hearing for the first time for more than twenty years the peal of the bells of the Church of St. Lawrence, the oldest peal of bells on earth. The five bells were cast in the mid-15th century, and rang for hundreds of years until the church tower became unstable. Now, after a £80,000 restoration, they are ringing again. The bells are completely intact, have never cracked and have only had to be slightly cleaned inside. They still have their original clappers and sound as mellow and beautiful as they did when Cardinal Wolsey, who was born nearby, was young.