RESIDENTS in the town were recently offered the rare opportunity to climb the tallest tower in Redditch.

This year, as part of the Heritage Open Day Festival, St Stephen’s Church in Church Green, recently threw open its doors and celebrated its fascinating heritage, community and history.

As part of the open day some people were lucky enough to take a tour of the tower, see the bells, and have a chance to ring them.

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If you missed out or simply weren't brave enough to make the extremely steep and vertigo-inducing ascent the above video shows what is at the top.

As well as rewarding view (somewhat obscured by shutters over the windows) there is a ring of eight bells in the tower, six fitted in 1857 by the Warner Company with the other two fitted in 1896 by John Taylor of Loughborough.

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The third bell invites "Good people all, when we call, come to pray, stay not away".

The tower also houses the clock mechanism, which needs to be set roughly once a week, and dates back to 1809.

The job of making sure the tower, and the bells, remain in working order is that of tower captain Jenny Freeman who took over the role from her husband.

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She was also in charge of taking all the tours (throughout the open day) up and back down the tower.

"I love my job here," she said. "It's very enjoyable doing this."

As well as the tower there was also the chance for people to view the 13th Century Bordesley Abbey tiles and take in the wonderful atmosphere of this iconic Redditch building while admiring the beautiful vaulted ceiling and stained-glass windows.