Castleton Delight Minor

About Castleton Delight Minor

Castleton Delight Minor is a member of the Cotswold group of methods, a class which has backward hunting above the treble. Below the treble the work is structured as per Warwick Delight.

Below the treble, 3rds place is made at the 4-5 cross-sections and at the half lead. The asymmetrical work in the 5-6 section creates pointy work in 3-4.

Castleton Delight Minor is one of a group of 3 Treble Dodging Delight methods all having identical work below the treble.

• Warwick Delight Mino
• Ludlow Delight Minor
• Castleton Delight Minor (Ibid)

At of September 2025 Bellboard had just 3 performances that included Castleton Delight Minor including 1 peal.

5ths place bell is the pivot bell and with the 2nds place lead end, the calling sequence for 6ths observation is as per St. Clements College Bob.

Method Structure.

Place Notation:
36X34.16 X 12 X 36 12X34. 16, 12, Bob 14, Single 1234.

Grid:

Diagram: Castleton Delight Minor, plain lead, change-rows and grid.

Plain Course structure
With 5ths Place Bell being the pivot bell (leading at the Half Lead), and 2nds place Lead End, the leads are presented in St Clement's C. Bob Lead End order.

Goals and learning approach

What you are trying to achieve needs to drive your approach.

Get Started - use the structure

Above the treble the "Hills Group" work needs to be learned and practised. Below the treble the members of the method grouup are well suited to using the skill of associating method structure with the work of the treble.

The asymmetry in both 1-2 section and 5-6 section make this one of the most difficult methods to learn and ring. There is just no substitute for memorising the detailed spacings. The relationship between the details of the work and the position of the treble is extra comfort factor.

Performance Level

If you are wishing to achieve 720s, Quarters, or peals:
start with the structural ringing as above, add in the bits that are natural to you.
Study the lines.
Practice a lot.
Achieve some performances .

Method Mastery Level

It is unusual for a band to wish to achieve mastery in a method like Castleton. Attempting to achieve mastery would give insights towards surviving trips which would be a re-usable skill in other methods.

Learning Castleton Delight Minor.

The Structure

Like all Cotswold Group Methods, Castleton Delight is an interesting challenge, the difficulties lie with the 1-2 section, whilst the work below the treble, in the case of Castleton, can be practiced via Warwick Delight Minor. The spacings and touch points in Cotswold above are critical to success.

The Rules

Ring Cotswold Treble Bob Minor above the treble, and Warwick Delight Mino below the treble.

Double Blue Lines

Castleton Delight Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Castleton Delight Minor, 1-2.

Castleton Delight Minor, 3-4

Diagram: Castleton Delight Minor, 3-4.

Castleton Delight Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Castleton Delight Minor, 5-6.

Artefacts

Point 6ths occurs on Treble's first and last blows at lead, this marks a transition between forward hunting and backward hunting above the treble.

Place Notation and Grid

The pictorial grid emphasises the structure of the method better than the Place Notation.

Pictels

Splitting into individual elements is of no value.

Ringing Castleton Delight Minor.

Track the treble

Awareness of the position of the treble is a key skill for most bellringing methods, and is the major key to ringing dodge together in Treble Bob Minor. Some hints and tips for developing the skill are given in the techniques section.

See Cotswold Treble Bob Minor for notes on learning the asymmetrical 1-2 section for handbells.

Positional Awareness

Place Notation Elements

The method contains 5 elements (36X34, X, 12, 12X34. 36, 16).

Double Place Bells

142635 LE 12: St Clement's College Bob; Rochester T.B.; London S

1-2:1-2, 1-3, 1-5, 1-6, 1-4, 1-2
3-4:3-4, 5-2, 6-3, 4-5, 2-6, 3-4
5-6:6-5, 4-6, 2-4, 3-2, 5-3, 6-5

Pivot Leads

5ths Place Bell is the pivot bell, the work is identical with that of Wells Surprise Minor.

For 3-4 pair, the pivot point is when they cross over in 4-5 at the Half Lead.
For 5-6 pair, the pivot point is when they cross over in 2-3 at the Half Lead.

Handrails

There are no handrails.

The methood is tricky, period.

Awareness of other bells

Coursing Order in Castleton Delight Minor

Castleton Delight Minor exhibits only glimpses of natural coursing order.

Tracking the coursing order above the treble can start with the transitions associated with calls.

Bobs and Singles.

Bobs replace the 2nds place at the Lead End with 4ths. This causes the bell that has just made point 6ths to make the bob and become 4ths place bell.

Singles Singles are rarely used in Castleton Delight Minor.

Touches of Castleton Delight Minor.

Bobs only touches of St Clement's College Bob will work for Castleton Delight Minor. If you dislike 65s at backstroke check your compositions carefully, even 600: W W W H H H has 4 65s at backstroke. See Complib 142740.