Hundreds of years of musical heritage in Wells are being carefully preserved.
The grand organ of Wells Cathedral, a historic instrument with roots dating back to the 14th century, has been dismantled and transported to Durham for a major £3m refurbishment.
Nearly 4,000 pipes, along with wind reservoirs, electrical systems and the console, were packed into 60 crates and moved to the Harrison & Harrison workshop.
The project is needed after increasing mechanical faults left the organ at risk of imminent failure.
Timothy Parsons, director of music at Wells Cathedral, said: "Our cathedral organ has become less and less reliable in recent months, and leading up to Christmas, the problems became worse, with a division of the organ failing without warning one Sunday morning.
"Unfortunately, it was reaching the point where the instrument wouldn’t have been playable at all, so the arrival of the temporary organ and the start of the work by Harrison & Harrison couldn’t have come at a better moment."
Wells Cathedral’s organists have had to cover up faults during recent services and recitals.
The restoration is expected to take until summer 2027 and the cathedral will rely on a temporary Viscount Regent 356-D organ until autumn 2027.
The project has been made possible with support from the Friends of Wells Cathedral, The Vinehill Trust and other donors.
Arnold Wills, chair of the Friends of Wells Cathedral, said: "The friends have committed to two-thirds of the total cost and have been lead partners in getting this project initiated.
"We have a great working relationship with Dean Toby and the whole cathedral team, and the project is on track to be a magnificent success.
"Everyone here is behind the project, and we have some very special fundraising events planned.
"I can’t wait to play the organ when it’s returned."
The cathedral still needs to raise further funds to complete the project.
Georgina Landau, director of development at Wells Cathedral, said: "The extremely generous support of the Friends of Wells Cathedral, The Vinehill Trust and other donors has enabled us to begin this critical project to save something at the very heart of Wells Cathedral.
"However, we still need to raise a significant sum to see this major project through to completion, and so we would love to hear from any trusts, foundations or private donors who would like to support this."
Not all components have left Somerset - the largest pipes, around five metres long and visible from the nave, remain onsite for restoration.
Harrison & Harrison plan to preserve as much of the instrument’s heritage as possible.
Andrew Scott, managing director, said: "We will be making careful use of much of the existing organ’s pipework, while replacing the worn mechanism and making it easier to maintain, alongside introducing some modern playing aids at the console to enhance the instrument’s versatility."
