The Ellacombe is one of the most commonly found apparatus in towers. Although some can be found in change ringing towers, they are more or less always used in towers that have hung dead bells. Ellacombes were designed under the intention to be operated by one person. The intention behind it was so that the bells could all be rung when insufficient numbers of ringers were available on a Sunday morning. It was invented by Ellacombe as he was disgusted by the level of drunk ringers at his tower and so the Ellacombe was born. He was also a man who didn't tolerate any excuses for poor striking either. It soon came out of fashion tho as churches began to use it more and more and soon it took priority over the actual ringers. Due to the doppler effect, using an Ellacombe does not give you the same tone as you would with a bell swinging full circle.
They are operated usually by one person pulling a rope towards you on the apparatus frame in the ringing room. The ropes need to be adjusted so the hammer sits roughly 5" away from the bell. They are required to be loosened before swinging the bells or else they collide and are at rink of being damages severely. The ropes go up from the ringing room and into the belfry to a series of pulleys to the corresponding bell. The rope is then tied to the end of the Ellacombe hammer and when pulled it strikes the bell.
In some towers you will see the old remains of a previous ellacombe. I have not found one in Sussex yet by Beddington in Surrey is an example. The old remains of one are in the North West corner of the tower. Beddington does have some connection for the late tower captain of Crawley George T Jennings used to ring there.
Walthamstow, St Mary used to have an Ellacombe but the whole apparatus and frame was removed during the restoration carried out by John Taylor & Co. An interesting feature about the one at Crawley, St John the Baptist is that from the ground floor of the church you can see 8 small holes for ropes immediately under the Ellacombe. Perhaps the Ellacombe was on the ground floor and later moved upstairs?
