The ten bells of Wye church rang at noon

Wye has marked the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II with a muffled peal from the ten bells of Wye church. They rang at noon for an hour, and at the end of the National Mourning the passing bell will toll ninety six times before Her Majesty's State Funeral. The flag of St George is flying at half-mast above the village, as it will throughout the time of National Mourning, and a Book of Condolence opened in Wye church this morning. There will be a Wye Benefice service of Holy Communion and thanksgiving for the life of Her Majesty on Sunday 11th September, at 10.00. (Please see the Wye Benefice website for details).

To mark the accession of King Charles III, Cllr Noel Ovenden will read the Local Proclamation of Accession on Churchfield Green on Sunday 11th September, at 4pm. All are welcome to attend the short Proclamation ceremony. The flag will be raised to full mast and the bells will ring unmuffled for this occasion.

Churchfield Green is a protected in perpetuity as a Centenary Field and it has strong royal associations for many older residents, as is the place where helicopters of the Royal Flight used to land in Wye. Poignantly, it is also where the village gathered recently to light the beacon and celebrate The Queen's Platinum Jubilee.