Historic Church Organ Relocated 10 Miles Within Cornwall

An appeal by the community has resulted in a new location for a 101-year-old church organ, which is being transported approximately 10 miles (16km) from its previous site in a former chapel in Cornwall. The Nanstallon Community Trust acquired the Nanstallon Methodist Chapel in December of the previous year, converting it into a village hall. However, members determined that the organ occupied an excessive amount of the available area. The organ, constructed in 1923, was the work of the local company J Trudgian & Son, based in St Dennis. The trust, which reported receiving inquiries from individuals globally but expressed a strong desire for the organ to remain within the county and avoid being discarded “in the skip,” confirmed its successful acquisition by the Market Hall in St Austell. Local residents and organ expert Clive Ellison have commenced the dismantling of the Trudjian organ, which comprises 300 pipes. J Trudgian & Son manufactured 32 organs of this kind, yet the Nanstallon instrument is thought to be one of only six examples of its specific type that are still in existence. Mr. Ellison stated: “When you have an organ pipe and put a stopper in the end, it speaks an octave lower.” He added, “Quite a few of these stoppers have a piercing in the top which gives it a particularly nice tone, and there were various very well-known makers that used to do that and this is something Mr Trudjian applied to this organ. “It’s quite compact and quite substantially built in places.”” Sheila Trethewey, representing the community trust, mentioned that proposals for the organ’s acquisition originated from distant locations such as Ireland and South Africa. She commented: “It’s sad to see it go but this is now a village hall; it’s not a chapel any more. “Hopefully, in its new home in St Austell, people will be able to go along there and actually play it, which is absolutely awesome.”” Sylvia Oaten, a member of the trust, expressed her relief that the organ was “not going into the tip.” She further stated: “We had other people interested and we desperately tried to keep it local. “It’s sad that it is going. It’s got to go – that was the decision that was made and, at the same time, it’s going somewhere where its going to be played and valued.”” The village hall has established itself as a well-regarded community resource, regularly hosting pub nights, games, and quiz events. Additionally, it accommodates a yoga club, an arts and crafts club, and a gardening club. The trust indicated that relocating the organ would create sufficient room to accommodate an additional 50 individuals within the hall. Furthermore, the Nanstallon Community Trust has been allocated funds from Cornwall Council’s Levelling Up Fund to undertake construction work, encompassing the installation of ramps for disabled access, new toilet facilities, and a new kitchen.