The Organ

The pipes of the organ, except for those of the Positive department, are visible in the organ case here in the North-west corner of the Church. But the organ, as an instrument, has not always been here. The original instrument, all of which is now lost, was installed probably in the 17th century, in front of the great East window of the Chancel, where the High Altar now stands.

The present instrument dates from 1903 and was built, including some older pipework by William Hill, by Norman and Beard Ltd. It was installed in front of the east window of the Lady Chapel. The first electric blower was installed in 1928, and the organ was then moved to its present position by A E Davies of Northampton, in 1963, at a cost of £6,059. Thirty years later, in 1993, it was cleaned and overhauled at a cost of £15,000, by Hill, Norman & Beard. However, by the start of the 21st Century, the connections between the keyboards (the Console) on the north side of the Chancel and the pipes were becoming increasingly unreliable. In 2010-11 a new console was fitted which connects with the pipe action via a digital computer link – this was at a cost of £30,000.