A unique pipe organ at a north Norfolk village church is coming back to life after a £60,000 restoration.
The instrument, which sits in the 14th century St Peter and Paul Church in Heydon, near Reepham, was donated to the parish in 1883 by General Edward Bulwer in memory of his wife, Belle, who had died aged 45.
The restoration began in March 2021 and was finished in August this year. The project was funded by a grant of £33,600 from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, as well as money raised locally.
Charles Shippam, 84, who managed the restoration project, said: "There is a sense of accomplishment, because after years of work and support, we've now got the finished project."
Apart from a clean and overhaul in 1922, the organ had received little attention meaning it has survived virtually untouched with the exception of an electric blower.
It is believed to be one of only three built by the renowned Leeds firm of Wordsworth and Maskell with a rare reversed console, which permits the player to look out into the church instead of facing inward.
For this reason, in 2014, the organ was awarded a Grade II certificate by the British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS).
Reverend Andrew Whitehead, 44, team vicar for Heydon Parish Church, said that organs are "fiendishly complex" with thousands of mechanical moving parts that over the years suffer from wear and tear, making them more difficult to play.
"Now it does exactly what it's meant to do," he said.
The reverend added: "Anglican worship, especially in a village like Heydon, relies upon an organ, in one way or another.
"Without an organ, we could carry on but it would be very different."
General Bulwer was a member of the family - now Bulwer-Long, who have owned the Heydon Estate and lived at Heydon Hall since 1756.
The village remains predominantly family-owned and became Norfolk's first conservation area in 1971.
To celebrate the restoration, there will be a recital at 7pm on Friday, September 30, given by Ashley Grote, master of music at Norwich Cathedral and a fellow of the Royal College of Organists.
Tickets are £20 from www.heydonparishchurch.co.uk or Heydon Village Tea Shop.
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