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≡Dove’s Guide for Church Bell Ringers
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Dove’s Guide for Church Bell Ringers

A guide to towers throughout the world with bells used for change ringing and other bells of interest.

First published in book form by Ronald H Dove in 1950, this is the online guide managed by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, now extended to details of bells, frames, founders and projects. Find out more about Dove’s Guide…

The printed Dove’s Guide for Church Bell Ringers is on sale.

Details incorrect or incomplete?

Grateful thanks are given to those who contribute additions or revisions, which are vital to maintain the quality of this resource. This includes bellringers, researchers and the bellfounding and bellhanging industry.

Please submit authoritative revisions either through the individual tower pages, or via email to the Dove Team. Please check whether the matter is addressed through our FAQs and follow our Conventions and other Help Pages (Description and Editing).

Site News
See all news

3 Apr: Frames information in the Dove Bell Register

We have now completed the major phase of transferring the bellframe information from the former Dove database into the new database such that we can now maintain this information. It now possible to search on frame components and layouts, as well as makers and materials from the new frames search page.

We are embarking on a programme of cleansing the frames data as we have discovered some inconsistencies and we have a backlog of a year’s worth of amendments that need to be processed. We thank contributors for your patience with these updates. We also have data on frames listed for preservation by the Church Buildings Council that do not contain rings of bells which will be incorporated at some point in the future.

24 Mar: The Rev’d Dr John Baldwin

It is with much sadness that we announce the death of the Rev’d Dr John Baldwin on the evening of 23rd March 2022. John succeeded Ron Dove in taking on the collection and maintenance of information on rings of bells, and was the first to digitise it just after the 1982 edition was published. This led to the first website appearing in 1998 and the extension of the scope to include details on individual bells and frames. John continued to lead the team as Dove Master until his retirement in 2017, although he continued to take a valuable active role until the database was transferred to its present form in 2020. Our thoughts are with his widow, Beryl, and children, Judith and Sid at this distressing time.

25 Oct: The former iOS Dove App

In 2017 we announced that the iOS Dove App was no longer available. Since then, users who already had the app installed were able to use it, but with no updates possible, ir has increasingly fallen out of sync with later operating systems. The app was developed independently and the Dove Team does not have the code, nor is the original developer available.

In the meantime, we have developed mobile friendly versions of the website, and in due course we may extend that to developing a new app. We also intend to launch the ability for individuals to record their own tower grabs via the website in due course.

We are making this statement now as recent changes to iOS have resulted in an increase in the number of people enquiring about the app.

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Dove Stewards
  • Dickon Love (Team Lead)
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Recent updates to rings
See all updates to rings or to the wider Dove Bell Register

10 Apr

Elveden, S Patrick & S Andrew, Suffolk
Ring deleted
Exeter, Cath Ch of S Peter, Devon
Project completed (10th rehung)
Frensham, S Mary V, Surrey
Project description updated; Tuning added; 6-8: turning amended
Milton Abbey, S Mary, S Michael, S Sampson, & S Branwalader, Dorset
Ringing suspended temporarily
Parramatta, Cath Ch of S Patrick, New South Wales, Australia
Fr1,2: layout added (provisional scheme)
Pipe and Lyde, S Peter, Herefordshire
Frame details added
Pontefract, All Saints, West Yorkshire
Project under way (major maintenance)
Upton upon Severn, S Peter & S Paul, Worcestershire
Fr1: maker amended

09 Apr

Accrington, S James, Lancashire
Other (unhung) bell added
East Grinstead, S Swithun, West Sussex
Bell from St Luke's Grinstead now in storage here.
Great Oakley, S Michael, Northamptonshire
Project completed and first ring took place 22 Mar.
Hoghton, Holy Trinity, Lancashire
Service: year, founder, hanging, canons, turning added
Richmond, S Mary Magd, Greater London
Additional bell hung dead noted
Romsey, Abbey Ch of S Mary & S Ethelflaeda, Hampshire
1-8: turning added.
Tarleton, Holy Trinity, Lancashire
Unhung bell details added

07 Apr

Bridstow, S Bridget, Herefordshire
8: cast year amended
Brigg, S John Ev, Lincolnshire
PN additional information added
Caistor, S Peter & S Paul, Lincolnshire
PN additional information amended
Greenstead Green, S James Ap, Essex
1-6: nominal added; 1-6: note amended
Huntshaw, S Mary Magd, Devon
Project description amended
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Content: Dove Team — Programming: Sid Baldwin & Richard Smith.
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