Village clock silenced after 150 years following single complaint

A village clock that has chimed for 150 years was silenced on Sunday night after a single complaint it was too loud.

The clock tower of St John the Baptist in Witheridge, Devon, was banned from chiming last December following the complaint, leading residents to begin a petition to save the church centrepiece.

The unnamed complainant said the quarter-hourly chimes, which rang out 24 hours a day, had been interrupting their sleep.

North Devon council issued the local parish council with a noise abatement notice on Dec 22 last year and warned it could be prosecuted for a breach.

But villagers responded with the petition calling for the “beloved church clock” to be allowed to chime again, which was signed by more than 300 people.

Becka Cook, one signatory, said: “I believe one person’s grievance should not change or affect the joy of many. 

“For hundreds of years the bells have chimed, and it’s criminal to silence them now!”

Matt Price, another resident, added: “It’s a church clock – it’s meant to chime!

“We should keep the clock chiming,” said Lynne Bull. “It’s a part of the church and a traditional part of village life.”

The parish council has now been forced to install a £2,000 silencer, meaning the clock will sound only once an hour between 7am and 11pm.

Rev Adrian Wells, the church’s vicar, told the BBC: “I think the work of the parish council to fit a silencer is a good compromise because the bell can ring during the daytime and be silent at night.

“It is lovely to have the chimes and bells back during the day. The clock is a real focal point for the village.”

‘Disappointing to see tradition eroded’

David Gale, a Witheridge resident, said villagers would have to “settle” on the bells only ringing during the day.

“It is disappointing when we see all these little traditions that we have got used to over a long period of time to be eroded by some of these laws that were developed in the modern era,” he said.

North Devon council said its “environmental protection team” had assessed the noise level of the clock and deemed it too loud.

A spokesman said: “They considered the loudness, the frequency and duration of the noise – it was considered that the chime every 15 minutes was likely to wake or disturb the sleep of the complainant and other residents nearby.

“The council has been contacted by other residents expressing disappointment at the silencing of the clock bells.

“However, most of these were not in close proximity to the bells and unlikely to be significantly impacted by the noise.”