Coursing Order

CHESTER DIOCESAN GUILD OF CHURCH BELL RINGERS WIRRAL BRANCH

COURSING ORDER

In PLAIN HUNT, for example on EIGHT bells, the COURSING ORDER is the sequence

2 4 6 8 7 5 3 1 - repeated continuously.

It is the order in which the bells come to the lead.
It is also the order in which the bells arrive at the back.
It is also the order in which the bells pass each other.
The sequence, as given, is the order in which the TREBLE passes each bell.
The sequence is the same for all the bells but each starts in a different place.

After passing everyone twice, the bells have completed one lead of PLAIN HUNT.

Pick a number in the sequence - the bell you are going to ring.

The bell on the LEFT of your number is the bell you take off the lead.
The bell on the RIGHT of your number is the bell that takes you off the lead.

As you ring PLAIN HUNT, notice yourself passing each bell in the sequence.

When you get to your own number you are either LEADING or LAST.

Example (i) The 6^th bell starts by passing the number 5 thus:-

hunting in		hunting out		hunting in
5 3 1 2 4	LEAD TWICE	8 7 5 3 1 2 4	LAST TWICE	8 7	(back at beginning)
			(over 4 and 8)

Example (ii) The 5^th bell starts by passing number 6 thus:-

hunting out		hunting in		hunting out
6 8 7	LAST TWICE	3 1 2 4 6 8 7	LEAD TWICE	3 1 2 4	(back at beginning)
	(over 7 and 3)

The first lead of PLAIN BOB is PLAIN HUNT

When ringing PLAIN BOB TRIPLES on the Treble, the sequence appears to be the same for every lead, except that you take a different bell off the lead each time.

If you ring BOB TRIPLES on any other bell, including the Tenor behind, the effect of the dodges is to move the Treble one place to the left in the sequence for each lead, thus:-

first lead	7 5 3 1 2 4 6
second lead	6 7 5 1 3 2 4
third lead	4 6 7 1 5 3 2
and so on