Full circle ringing

A bell swinging through a small arc acts as a simple pendulum, at a time interval governed by its size and shape.

By swinging it through a much larger arc approaching a full circle, control of the strike interval can be exercised by the ringer.

This culminated in the technique of full circle ringing, which enabled ringers to control the speeds of their individual bells accurately to sound them in orderly sequences.

The tower bells involved range from a few hundredweight up to a few tons[a] and are most commonly associated with churches as a means of calling the congregation to worship.

Their primary applications are for training, demonstration or leisure purposes, with bells weighing anything from a matter of ounces, to two-and-a-half hundredweight.

In Veronese full-circle ringing there is a large amount of counter-balancing, so there is little net gravitation pull and the bell accelerates slowly and rotates gracefully.

The sound made by a bell rung full-circle has two unique subtle features: rapid strike decay and the Doppler effect.

The peak strike intensity decays away quickly since the clapper helps dissipate the bell's vibration energy.

The headstock is fitted with a wooden stay, which, in conjunction with a slider, limits maximum rotational movement to just over a full circle, and allows the bell to be set or rested mouth uppermost.

A large wheel is fitted to the headstock, and the rope wraps and unwraps as the bell rotates backwards and forwards.