Organ Console - Wymondham Abbey - Wymondham, Norfolk - Musical Instruments on Waymarking.com

"This is the original console of our great organ. The instrument has three keyboards, known as the swell, great and choir manuals. Each one plays on a different set of pipes. These make a wide variety of distinctive sounds that the organist selects using the stops (pistons) which you can see on the sides. Almost all of the original pipes are still in use. Pail keys were added in 1845 and more pipes have been added in later re-builds. Today, the organ has 46 different stop • and a total of about 3,000 pipes.

Miss Ann Farmer - 'spinster of the parish'- purchased the organ for the church In 1793. It cost her 1630 (about £70,000 in today's money) plus extras such as packing, carriage from London, and ale for the carters. Sadly Miss Farmer died without ever hearing the organ. She is buried in a tomb, unmarked at her request, near the Abbey shop.

James Davis was a 'self-taught genius' who became a well-known organ builder of his day. He designed and built the instrument at his workshop in London. The splendid mahogany case is in the fashionable Strawberry Hill Gothick style, based on plans by Thomas Chippendale. For over 100 years, the organ stood on a large wooden gallery at the back of the church from where the choir also sang. This was taken down In 1903 and the organ raised higher on to a new gallery under the tower."

SOURCE - info card at display

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