In a time when communities are doing everything to hold on to tradition and heritage, one West Yorkshire village has found itself unexpectedly muted.
The familiar sound that once echoed through Mytholmroyd—St Michael’s Church’s historic clock chimes—has fallen silent, and residents are heartbroken.
What triggered the sudden hush? A noise complaint. Yes, just one.
And now a clock that has chimed for over 170 years has been labeled a “nuisance.”
From Timekeeper to Trouble-Maker
The clock at St Michael’s Church hasn’t just been marking the time; it’s been marking memories.
The bell’s Westminster chimes rang out every 15 minutes and hourly, a comforting rhythm to many in the village.
It’s been doing this since 1848, long before smartphones and smartwatches.
But everything changed when Calderdale Council received a complaint about the noise at night.
That led to an official abatement notice ordering the clock to stay quiet between 11pm and 7am.
Complying with this ruling would require installing a £2,500 silencing device—a cost the church simply couldn’t absorb immediately.
So, for now, the bells are completely switched off. It’s the first time in more than a century that the village clock has stopped chiming through the night.
Community Caught in the Middle
Church warden Roy Wrathall has been helping navigate the fallout.
“There are two sides,” he explained.
“Some find the sound at night reassuring—it’s part of their routine. Others can’t sleep because of it.”
He emphasized that the church is there to serve the whole community, so they’re doing what the law requires, even if it’s painful.
“The clock’s still running,” he noted, “but the chimes have stopped.”
A Symbol of Recovery, Now Silenced
For many in Mytholmroyd, the bells are more than tradition—they’re part of the village’s story of resilience.
In 2015, devastating floods hit the area hard, including the church.
With water, darkness, and chaos everywhere, the chimes stopped back then too.
“When the bells came back after the floods, it was a sign that life was returning to normal,” said Wrathall.
“That sound meant something to people. It still does.”
A Petition to Bring the Bells Back
Unsurprisingly, the community hasn’t taken this change quietly.
Locals launched a Change.org petition that’s already gained over 1,200 signatures.
It’s filled with emotional messages, highlighting just how deeply rooted these bells are in village life.
One person wrote: “The bells have always been there. They’re part of who we are.”
Another joked, “When I was growing up, the bells told me when it was time for dinner. Now, how will kids know when to eat?”
The petition argues that one complaint shouldn’t outweigh the feelings of an entire village.
It even suggests possible compromises—like helping the complainant soundproof their home instead of silencing a beloved piece of local culture.
The Council’s Side of the Story
Danielle Durrans from Calderdale Council addressed the backlash.
She explained that they received multiple complaints about the nighttime noise and that a legal investigation found the chimes were having a “substantial impact” on some residents’ quality of life.
“We understand the heritage,” she said.
“But we had to act on the evidence and serve an abatement notice.”
She also clarified that no appeal has been made against the order and that the decision to extend the silence to daytime hours was made by the church leadership, not the council.
So, What Happens Now?
The bells are quiet, the village is divided, and the debate is far from over.
Will the church find the funds for a nighttime silencer?
Could a middle-ground solution be reached? Or will this cherished sound remain a memory of the past?
For now, the bells of St Michael’s are paused.
But if the voices behind that petition keep growing louder, the familiar chimes might just ring out again—this time as a symbol of unity.