A BELL RINGER from a Ryedale village has completed a 140-mile cycle and raised over £800 to carry out repairs on bell towers.

Steve Waterworth, who lives in Broughton, completed his sponsored cycle around 27 of North Yorkshire’s churches.

Speaking ahead of the cycle, Steve said: “Like all things bells suffer from wear and tear. Some bells can be well over 100 years old!

“The reason for my sponsored cycle ride of over 140 miles is to make more funds available for bell towers needing repairs.

“Money raised will go into a central fund where towers needing repairs can apply for financial support to improve ringing or even bring ringing back to silent towers.”

A member of the Scarborough and District branch of the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers, Steve has rung bells across all 13 church towers in the area that ring regularly.

The ride started at Bridlington Priory on Friday, September 2, and over three days, visited churches in Robin Hoods Bay, Helmsley, and Bossall, before returning to Norton.

Steve was welcomed over the finish line by friends.

Despite the marathon journey, he still had the energy to join a group of bell ringing colleagues from other local churches to ring a complex and tiring 45-minute quarter peal.

Steve said: “It was a real challenge, but I was supported along the way by friends across the bellringing community.

“At a number of churches I visited, bellringers were there to greet me, at Scalby they rang for me as I left, and at Brompton, they even provided lunch!

“Then at the end, a group for ringers from across the region joined me in a quarter peal - and I’m not sure which was harder - riding 140 miles or ringing.”

To donate to Steve after his epic journey, visit his JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/steven-waterworth