Stratford's historic bells to be rehomed after demolition of bell tower

Stratford's historic bell tower will be demolished, and the bells rehomed. Photo / Supplied

The bell tower located in the War Memorial Centre carpark is being demolished later this month.

This is due to the risk it poses to public safety in the event of an earthquake.

A seismic assessment on the bell tower discovered that it posed a significant earthquake risk, and council was faced with two options - strengthen or demolish.

Stratford District councillors discussed the options as part of the Long Term Plan 2021-2031 process, and felt the cost of strengthening as well as the increased ongoing maintenance costs were too large.

With public safety the main driver to assessing the future of the tower, it was decided removing the tower altogether was the best option.

While the tower structure will be dismantled and removed, the bells will be saved and stored safely until a new home is made for them.

The bells from the tower originally came from the old clock tower on the Broadway Post Office.

Both the old clock tower and bells were erected as a memorial to the soldiers of Stratford who fell in the Boer War (1899-1902) and World War I (1914-1918). In 1987, after being disused for 20 years, the bells were installed in the bell tower on Miranda Street.

The area where the tower currently sits has developed significantly over time.

Before the 1950s Miranda Street was home to the district's sale yards and horse bazaar which stretched from the section south of the Stratford District Council building to where the War Memorial Centre and Cross of Sacrifice (built in 1953 and modernised in 1995) now stand.

District Mayor Neil Volzke says the council is aware that the decision to remove the bell tower might come as a disappointment to some, but ongoing public safety is at the forefront of this decision.

"We're satisfied that the historic bells, which the tower was originally constructed to house, will be better displayed elsewhere for everyone to enjoy. At the moment you can't see the bells as they are enclosed within the tower, so we're looking forward to being able to view them again."