Vanished Towers and Chimes of Flanders

Bells, belfries and market squares give shape to George Wharton Edwards's account of Flanders. Drawing on his residence in its towns, he records church towers, local crafts and the daily scenes around them. His foreword, dated April 1916, sets these recollections against the damage brought by war. At Malines, the tower of St. Rombauld leads into accounts of clocks, bell founders and the families who carried their craft through several generations.

The writing combines travel observation with architectural description and local history. In Alost, Edwards studies the town hall's mixture of styles, its varied brickwork and the bells above the square. A carnival gathers farmers, merchants and families around a statue of the printer Thierry Moertens, while chimes sound popular tunes. Readers interested in Flemish buildings or the place of bells in civic life will find a record of how monuments, work and public celebrations shared the same streets.