Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor

About Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor - Complib

Hills Group work above the treble is accompanied by an asymmetrical 5-6 section which creates some "pointy" artefacts across the Half Lead..

"Pointiness" is created by switching between forward work and backward work, and Norton-le-Moors exhibits this both across the Lead End and across the half lead for bells working both in 1-2, and in 3-4.

As of May 2025, there are just 4 recorded performances of Norton-Le-Moors on handbells on Bellboard.

Method Structure.

Place Notation:
36X34. 16 X 12 X 16 .34X12. 36, 12, Bob 14, Single 1234.

Grid:

Diagram: Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor, plain lead, change-rows and grid.

Goals and learning approach

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

Ringing by structure

If you are ringing Norton-le-Moors to gain the skill of associating method structure with the work of the treble (valid goal), DO NOT learn the lines, learn the structure, ring, make mistakes and learn from them. Track-the Treble skills, Place Notation skills, coursing order skills can all be developed in this manner. However, the skills would be more easily gained (initially) by ringing Kent TB Minor than Norton-le-Moors.

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 Norton-le-Moors.

Learning Quantock.

The Structure

Learning Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor is mainly about the work under the treble. Attention to detail, and thoroughness are necessary. If this is your first "pointy work", then learn the spacings so that you can make the "cat's ears" fit with the other bells.

The Rules

Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor - the rules
Ring Cotswold TB above the treble, and Quantock/Snowdon below.

Double Blue Lines

Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor, 1-2.

Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor, 3-4

Diagram:Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor, 3-4.

Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor, 5-6.

Artefacts

The point-near-far-point in 1-2 does not, indeed cannot align with the cat's ears in 3-4.

Place Notation and Grid

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

Pictels

Splitting the method into individual elements is of no value.

Ringing Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob 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 Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor. Some hints and tips for developing the skill are given in the techniques section.

The difficulty of ringing the pointy work in 3-4 is not helped by tracking the treble apart from confirming the occurrence of the half lead and the assocated symmetry.

Positional Awareness

Achieve accurate placement of the bells during the 5-6 section by memorising the spacings.
Note the way that 3rds and 5ths place bells make points under the ears of the cat's ears of the pivot bell.

Place Notation Elements

The method contains 6 elements (36x34, X, 12, 16, 34x12, 36).

Place Bells, Pivot Leads, and Staging posts

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

For 5-6 pair, the pivot point is when they make backward places together in 1-2 at the Half Lead.
For 3-4 pair, the pivot point is when they cross over in 4-5 at the Half Lead, this is the pair that make points under the ears of the cat's ears of the pivot bell.

Awareness of other bells

Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob is rich in interest in the way the bells work together in the 5-6 section. Study the structure, memorise the spacings.

Coursing Order in Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob.

Natural coursing order applies above the treble.
Below the treble, the key bell is the pivot bell; either side of the pivot bell, the bells work in 4-5.
The coursing pair cross in 1-2 at the Half Lead.

Ringing the Method

Norton-le-Moors demands an investment in learning before picking up the bells.

Bobs and Singles.

Bobs The plain lead end is 12 and the bob as a 14 simple in appearance but a little unusual to ring (bells that make a bob normally hunt down).

Singles Singles are rarely used in Treble Bob Minor.

Touches of Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor.

With St Clement's College Bob Lead End order, bobs only touches of St Clement's work fine.