VISITORS to Lydiard Park this morning would have heard the haunting sound of a single bell tolled 99 times – one chime for each of Prince Philip’s years.

Like churches across the country, St Mary’s, Lydiard Tregoze, rung the bell half-muffled in tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh.

Jason Carter, Tower Captain and a bellringer for 28 years, was the man tolling the 300-year-old tenor bell for 20 minutes before this morning's service.

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Jason Carter, tower captain at St Mary's, Lydiard Tregoze

He said: “It’s quite something. Because the bell is muffled, it gives quite a haunting sound. It gives you a moment to reflect.

“It’s actually quite nice to be up there in the bell tower alone. It gives you a chance to reflect on what a great man he was and a fantastic life he lived.”

The sound of a single bell, tolled half-muffled, is a rare one at the 800-year-old church. It is usually only done to mark the deaths of royalty or churchwardens.

The tenor bell rung by Mr Carter is the heaviest in Lydiard Tregoze’s ring of six. He said: “It’s a bit tiring given we haven’t been ringing for a whole year. It’s a skill; the bells are very heavy but there’s a very large wheel that’s attached to the bell. [Ringing it] is fairly straightforward physics."

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St Mary's, Lydiard Tregoze, this morning

Revd Capt Clive Deverell, the vicar at St Mary’s, said: “It’s a mark of respect for the duke’s many years of loyal service. One of the things that people don’t realise is he had a keen interest in spirituality and set up a lot of support for and encouraged support for clergy. He was very interested in supporting people in their spiritual journey.”