Restored historic organ will take pride of place in refurbished church

A NORTH Tyneside church is putting the restoration of a rare 19th-century organ at the forefront of its plans to reshape its future.

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The organ at St John's Church in Killingworth is one of only a handful of Grade II-listed organs in the United Kingdom.

The British Institute of Organ Studies has listed the organ due to its "national importance and significance", and say that it is protected in the same way that ancient buildings are.

The organ is currently being restored and repaired, before it will be relocated to a newly-built mezzanine floor in the church, which remains unfinished despite the first stone being laid in 1869.

As well as the organ being moved to a new home, traditional church pews have been replaced with moveable seating with the aim of creating a more flexible space, thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of almost £200,000.