Fears historic church bells could fall silent in North Yorkshire village
Melsonby community faces £40,000 shortfall after government ends VAT grant scheme
Last updated 10th Mar 2026
A North Yorkshire village fears its historic church bells could fall silent after a government scheme helping churches reclaim VAT on building work was cancelled.
Villagers in Melsonby, near Richmond, have already raised more than £150,000 to replace the bells at the Church of St James the Great.
But the closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has left the project with a £40,000 funding gap.
The tower currently holds four bells, including one dating back to 1370. The plan is to install a new ring of eight bells, using six from a church in Leeds along with two new ones.
Fundraisers say if the work cannot be completed within the next year, the bells may stop ringing altogether.