A CHURCH bell representing the people of Somerset has been toasted in nothing less than the local cider.

The Somerset Bell is the largest of 15 bells being replaced at St Mary Magdalene Church, Taunton.

A team from Taunton travelled to Loughborough to see it cast at John Taylor's bell foundry.

It will carry the county motto Sumorsaete Ealle taken from the Anglo Sexon Chronicle.

The Mayor of Taunton Deane, Cllr Vivienne Stock-Williams, and St Mary's vicar, the Rev Rod Corke, were among the witnesses of the historic occasion.

At the moment the white hot metal was poured into the mould to make the bell, Mr Corke gave a blessing and the onlookers from Taunton sang 'Up from Somerset', before celebrating with a drop of Sheppy's cider, made in Bradford-on-Tone.

The last of the new bells will be cast on August 25 and they will be installed in the church tower in November in time for the festive season.

Tower captain Rosemary Tuhey said: "Having new, tuneful bells that are easy to ring and being able to hear the carillon ringing out its tunes once more will be our best Christmas present for 100 years.”

The bells were taken down earlier this summer and the project involves a new floor being put in and a false ceiling installed above the ringing room to protect the ringers' hearing.

The last time the 15 bells stopped ringing was when the tower was rebuilt between 1859 and 1862.

Supporters have been busy organising fundraising events to foot the £310,000 bill and the Gannett Foundation, run on behalf of Newsquest Media Group, publishers of the County Gazette, has pledged to donate £5,000.

*St Mary's tower will be open for trips to the top on July 23 as part of the annual Magdalene Fair.

There will also be a practice bell for people to have a go at bell ringing and the opportunity to sign up to learn to ring on the new bells.