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Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers (known to ringers asDove's Guide or simplyDove) is the standard reference to therings of bells hung for English-stylefull circle ringing. The vast majority of these "towers" are in England and Wales but the guide includes towers from the rest of theBritish Isles as well as a few from around the world (including the United States, Australia, Canada, Africa and New Zealand). The latest edition isDove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers to the Rings of Bells of the World (11th Edition).
The guide was first published in 1950 by Ronald Hammerton Dove (1 June 1906 – 19 March 2001) under the titleA Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain and Ringing Peals of the World. Previously the location of rings of bells was a matter only of local knowledge and hearsay. Dove produced eight editions of his guide between 1950 and 1994, managing to visit and ring at nearly all the ringable towers himself (a never-ending task as rings are continually added, removed or upgraded and, at least in the Guide's early years, rediscovered).
After 1994, he handed over responsibility for theGuide to theCentral Council of Church Bell Ringers. The 11th edition (December 2018) is the most recent published as a book (now under the titleDove's Guide) and is also made available as a database for free access via the Internet: the Central Council continues to maintain the guide online.
Entries in theGuide traditionally listed thetown orvillage, thecounty (orcountry), the dedication (saint) of the church, the number of bells, the weight of the tenor (the largest bell) and its musical note, and the tower's usual practice night. It also noted whether the bells were in an unringable or unsafe condition. Appendices (not currently available online) also give information about rings of bells by number, weight, and county; a list of the heaviest bells in the British Isles; and details of changes since the previous edition. This information is helpful for those interested in trends over time. The online guide is, however, searchable by almost every criterion.
Although it was sometimes assumed to be exhaustive,Dove's Guide never pretended to be a complete catalogue. In fact, theGuide is under continual review and enhancement. Mapgrid references are now shown, and even details of towers aspoints of interest for users of satellite navigation systems: details of individual bells in each ring are being added gradually.
It is an invaluable aid for the holidaying bell ringer looking for a tower to visit, or for organising atower grab (ringing outing). However, contact information for towers is still best obtained from individual websites and reports.[1]
| Edition | Year | Title | Compiler | Publisher | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1950 | A Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain and ringing peals of the world | Dove, Ronald H | W H Viggers, Aldershot | viii + 184pp |
| 2nd | 1956 | A Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain and ringing peals of the world | Dove, Ronald H | W H Viggers, Aldershot | x + 188pp |
| 3rd | 1962 | A Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain and ringing peals of the world | Dove, Ronald H | W H Viggers, Aldershot | xii + 194pp |
| 4th | 1968 | A Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain and ringing peals of the world | Dove, Ronald H | W H Viggers, Aldershot | x + 197pp |
| 5th | 1976 | A Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain and ringing peals of the world | Dove, Ronald H | W H Viggers, Aldershot | viii + 199pp |
| 6th | 1982 | A Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain and ringing peals of the world | Dove, Ronald H | W H Viggers, Aldershot | x + 206pp |
| 7th | 1988 | A Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain and ringing peals of the world | Dove, Ronald H | W H Viggers & Seven Corners Press Ltd, Guildford | x + 214pp |
| 8th | 1994 | A Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain and ringing peals of the world | Dove, Ronald H | Seven Corners Press Ltd, Guildford | x + 208pp |
| 9th | 2000 | Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers to the Ringing Bells of Britain and the World. | Baldwin, John andJohnston, Ron | CCCBR, Guildford | vi + 236pp |
| 10th | 2012 | Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers to the Ringing Bells of Britain and the World | Baldwin, John, Jackson, Tim & Johnston, Ron | CCCBR, Guildford | xiv + 306pp |
| 11th | 2018 | Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers to the Ringing Bells of Britain and the World | Baldwin, John, Jackson, Tim & Johnston, Ron | CCCBR, Guildford | 330pp |