Woolhope Bell Ringers successfully completed a quarter peal at St George’s Church on Saturday 20th December 2025. This was to celebrate the baptism of Arabella Spencer Parker, granddaughter of Clive and Charmaine Boultbee Brooks, and took place before the service attended by family and friends.
Congratulations to the band for ringing ‘1260 Grandsire Doubles’ in 42 minutes.
What is Grandsire Doubles?
Grandsire, meaning “grandfather” in Old English, is the bell-ringing method chosen for this quarter peal. A doubles method involves bells 1 through 5 changing places with one another in a predefined ringing sequence. Often, the tenor – the largest and lowest-pitched bell – covers, meaning it rings continuously in 6th place.
Below is a recording of Grandsire Doubles, made in 2001 by the ringers of St John the Baptist, Suckley, in Worcestershire.
What is a quarter peal?
A quarter peal is a notable performance of continuous ringing, typically 1260 changes, taking around 45 minutes to complete. A change is counted each time the bells sound in a different order, for example: 123456, 213546, 231456, 324156, 342516, etc. Quarter peals are rung for various reasons, including special church services, weddings, baptisms, or in remembrance of someone.
St George's Church, Woolhope 
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