One unique aspect of the British countryside is the sound of church bells being rung. Most countries have bells that are tolled and some have mechanical carillons, but only in Britain is change-ringing, or the ringing of bells in special sequences, so widely practised. Bellringing, which takes place regularly in some six thousand church towers, is regarded by non-ringers as something of a mystique, but in this book the author explains for the layman and the beginner what change-ringing is all about, why it is unique to Britain, and how it was developed. He includes much fascinating information - on famous bells and towers, inscriptions, peal boards and ringers' rules, ringers versus clergy, and a glossary of rining terms.