Victorian design restored onto church organ

The original design is intricate and requires patience to restore

A near 150-year-old Grade I listed church organ is being restored to its former "intricate" design and colours.

The Victorian instrument at St Mary's Church in Steeple Ashton near Trowbridge, was first restored to function fully again in 2012, but that did not include its original decoration, which had been covered over.

Two specialist restoration artists are now working on it. One of them, Debra Miller, said: "You want to fulfil the design that was actually there. You want it to be perfect, to recreate just as they did."

It has cost £70,000 so far to get the organ working again and then re-painted.

The organ's original Victorian decoration was covered up

Ms Miller works as a team with Robert Woodland and they have restored organs at famous places like York Minster.

Mr Woodland explained that the hardest part is finding the original designs in the first place: "Finding the true colours, that we're doing all the sketching, basically replicating it as it was done."

He said they are careful not to damage anything and locals are looking after them: "Different people take us into their homes of an evening, they're feeding us."

The artists have to be careful not damage the original work they uncover

The restoration process does need patience, Ms Miller explained, as it "interweaves between the pipes.

"Some are, 12, 15 feet tall that have a design, then you have one that's three or four feet tall and it goes from the small to the large."

St Mary's at Steeple Ashton has its own preservation trust

The money to restore the organ to functioning order came from the fundraising efforts of a late resident of Steeple Ashton, whose widow has continued to raise money.

The church has its own charitable preservation trust, which will contribute more if needed.

The artists have a lot more work to do, but say the end will be worth it: "The best thing about the project is when the pipes go back to the case, to see them all sing and play together," said Ms Miller.