grandsire

Grandsire is a term in English change ringing referring to a family of methods for ringing changes on a set of church bells. The Grandsire method was developed in England during the 17th and 18th centuries and became one of the most widely rung plain methods alongside others such as Plain Hunt and Plain Bob. A Grandsire method is defined by a fixed rule set that governs how bells move during each lead, creating a distinctive order of changes that eventually returns to rounds. Variants include Grandsire Doubles (the five-bell form) and Grandsire Triples (the six-bell form). Grandsire is typically taught and rung on towers with five to eight bells, with the five- and six-bell forms being most common.

In performance, bell ringers aim to complete a sequence that covers a large set of changes in a peal or long length, using a series of leads— the repeating segment of the method that ends when the bells return to rounds. The Grandsire family has spawned many related methods and variations, some with altered lead rules or added complexity, yet all share the same underlying principle: make deliberate, controlled moves of each bell to generate the target changes.

Grandsire remains a staple in traditional English tower ringing, practiced by clubs and towers around the world. It is typically contrasted with Surprise methods, which introduce greater complexity and irregularity. See also: Stedman, Cambridge, Plain Hunt.