The bells of a west Cornwall church will ring out again thanks to the National Lottery award of £27,400.

They have rung faithfully for centuries across the parish of Zennor, but St Senara's Church is now in need of urgent restoration.

Thanks to the National Lottery players, this grant will be added to other generous gifts from Truro Diocesan Guild of Ringers, Cornwall Historic Churches Trust, Churchcare and Cornwall Community Chest.

Local parishioners and visitors to this historic church, home of the mermaid of Zennor, have also pitched in to reach the target £56,000 in just 18 months.

The work will chime for the whole community.

Supported through the Heritage Lottery Fund, local children and young people can explore the history of the bells and bellringing.

Volunteers will be trained to collect the oral history, manage the archives, share the information and design a website.

There are also plans for a community created commemorative tapestry.

Everyone is welcome to watch the bells being dismantled and taken to Taylor’s Bell Foundry in Loughborough. in a commemorative tapestry project.

Work on the bells is planned for July and will take round three months.

Once completed, there will be tours of the church tower and "taster" ringing sessions. Revd Elizabeth Foot, Priest-in-charge, said: “We are so pleased to receive this grant and to know that the bells will be ringing again before the end of the year.”