But it's not just picturesque middle England villages and television shows like Midsomer Murders where you hear and see bell ringing taking place.

Lancaster is home to a very dedicated group of ringers who are masters of their craft.

And how do I know this, because I got a first hand taste of this historical art at St Peter's Cathedral, in the city.

I entered the beautiful and colourful catholic cathedral and was greeted by tower master John Pye.

Mr Pye has been ringing bells for 65 years and knows all there is about the ten bells which sit high above in the steeple.

After climbing 56 narrow, cold stone steps I arrived in the ringing chamber and met fellow ringers Stephen Harrison and Peter Ford.

Shortly after 30-year-old ringing master John Rogan arrived and we walked another 56 steps to the bell loft.

The immense looking bells were varied in size and all freely move through 360 degrees.

The lightest bell, the treble, weighs four-and-a-half hundred weight while the tenor, called the Saint Bernard and St Peter Prince of the Apostles, is the heaviest. It weighs slightly under a ton.

Mr Rogan explained how the bell starts in the upside position and as I would be pulling the rope the bell would swing down and then back up again on the other side.

It was then back into the ringing chamber for my hands on advanced learning session.

I studied the 60ft rope with a fair bit of trepidation knowing my mistakes couldn't be hidden from the public - the noise would be heard across the whole of the city.

But Mr Rogan was very helpful in teaching me the basics of both the backstroke and the handstroke.

I stood holding the rope like I was looking to sink a putt on a golf course. My instructions were then to reach up, pull down the rope and flick my wrists back into the putting hold. It sounded simple but in practice it required a bit of strength and control but once I got into the rhythm I felt very happy with myself. I even had a go at ringing the tenor.

We swapped roles and stood on wooden boxes to let me have a go on the handstroke. I stood on my tip toes, got a good grip on the sally, a blue and yellow cover over the rope, and pulled with all my might.

Then I had to put my arms to the side, let Mr Rogan do the backstroke bit, before I then caught the sally and pulled again on the rope.

It was very strange because I was concentrating so hard on when, where and how to pull the rope that I wasn't really thinking about the noise that was coming out the of the bell.

The time had come for me to put my skills into practice and go it solo - I was nervous but actually excited to test my newly found skills.

With a vice-like grip and puffed out cheeks I started pulling at that rope like my life depended on it. I built up my momentum and I made a note to hear the noise I was generating on the magnificent bells.

I was so proud that in such a short time, and with a lot of help, I'd learnt a new skill that had always seemed very difficult.

To add to the experience, the four experts showed how it should be done and I was also privy to a bell change - it was very impressive to see the guys in action and to hear the bells chiming away

Mr Rogan, who is a librarian, first started in 1989 after moving on from being an altar boy.

"It's one of those things I don't even have to think about that much now because as I got into it and found out I was good at it and that made a huge difference.

"When you do something well it makes it even more enjoyable and the people involved are really great too.

"There's a certain physical side to it but nothing too extreme."

Mr Pye, 82, agreed, saying: "There's a sense of effort involved but nothing more than pushing a child on a swing. You've just got find the rhythm."

The bells ring out for many ceremonies, including weddings, funerals and civic events.

Ringers get together for practice on Thursday evening and Sunday mass. They also ring at Lancaster Priory and have a monthly meeting with ringers from across the district.

They are on the lookout for more ringers so if you want to give it a go call Mr Pye on 65658.

Rachel Atkinson