CHIDDINGLY CHURCH,    CHIDDINGLY,
EAST SUSSEX  in the diocese of CHICHESTER

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5  Textiles         6  Paintings & Documents                 7  Windows
8  Organ, Clock & Porch Floor                                    9  Library, Information & References

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PIPE ORGAN - Facing NAVE in North Aisle under 3rd Arch from Chancel - 1874
Case - Pipe Rack of 19 pipes from the bass notes of the Open Diapason with mouths in a straight line. A square pine frame has stop chamfers, pyramid shaped head with moulding and trefoil sinking. Horizontal wood strip with 17 pierced trefoils across the whole width near the top of the shortest pipes. Alongside the console are two side panels in a single panel of two boards - tongued, grooved and V jointed. Side panelling is stop chamfered. Front panel above console is a vertically sliding panel in framed pine with four V jointed boards horizontally with two wooden knobs. The hinged Oak console cover is lockable. Rest of organ enclosed in pine frame with 8 panels of 4 up and 4 down on both sides. Each panel is stop moulded with vertical panels V jointed in two boards to match the sides of console.

Console - Integral. One manual keyboard 77 cm in length with four and a half octaves from C to g "' (56 notes). White naturals and black sharps. Music ledge above with 4 metal swivels to hold music in place.

Stops and Couplers - Stop knobs and their circular shafts are of Oak and have ivory discs lettered in medium San Serif black capitals. Stops are arranged in two groups of 5 on either side of the keyboard.

Specification - Open Diapason 8' Dulciana 8' Stopped bass wald flute treb tone 8'

Stopped Diapason Bass Principal 4' Flute 4' tone Fifteenth 2'

Gamba 8' Pedal Bourdon 16' tone Pedal Coupler

Pistons - There are 3 foot pistons which cannot be re-set.

Pedal Keyboard - Two and a half octaves from C to f' (30 notes)

Pedal Board - Straight and flat in beech.

Pedal Accessories - Lever on right for knee to operate swell-box. 3 foot pistons which cannot be re-set.

Action - Tracker throughout.

Pipes - (see 'case' above) Victorian decorations on front pipes have been repainted - white with red feet and heads plus gold embellishment.

Case - Pine

Knobs - Ivory and Oak

Keys - Ivory and Ebony

Pipes - Pipe metal

Made originally by J. Walker, London.

The organ was previously in the "Iron church" in Eastbourne, East Sussex. It was bought by Chiddingly Church in 1906 for £75.00 and brought to the Church in pieces on a farm cart. The case was assembled by a village carpenter. The pipe work and action was put together by Mr Herbert Richardson an amateur organ builder. Moved to its present position 1985. In 1982 - 85 full restoration by J W Walker, Brandon, Suffolk and the organ was brought forward in front of the North aisle arch with the front pipes protruding forward. One stop was removed (name unknown) and the Fifteenth added. Tuner is Mr P M W Christian, 6 King George VI Drive, Hove, BN3 6XF. Tuner's notebook dates from 11th December 1985 to 26th March 1999. On 12th June 1986 the rear rank of the Fifteenth was replaced following a theft. (The restoration took 3 years - organ dismantled and kept in storage by Walkers till sufficient funds available.

FLOOR - PORCH
The porch has red bricks laid straight with a grey stone Rhomboid with 2 vertical and 1 horizontal cracks across the width of the porch 77 tapering to 49 cm. Possibly a crusader's tomb.

TURRET CLOCK - TOWER - 1912
The mechanism is in a room below the belfry chamber, accessed by a spiral staircase from the vestry. A cast iron flat bed frame carrying the clock mechanism itself. Double three legged gravity escapements with compensation pendulum, 2m long. Electrically wound. Name of manufacturer (Gillet & Johnston, Croydon) cast on the setting dials and a lower rail of frame.