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The
Interior
The three galleries date from the building of the
church in about 1786/87, and originally the pews were gated with
brass nameplates, these being swept away with the usual Victorian
zeal in 1881-82 when the floor of the church was entirely
remodelled. The old high box-pews were taken out and converted
into the open pews which are now there.
In 1928 the old ornate box-pew (formerly occupied
by the owners of Highmoor House) was removed from the eastern end
of the north aisle, and in 1953 the present side chapel was
installed in its place.
Organs
The first organ in the church is believed to have
been a small barrel organ ehich was later exchanged for a larger
instrument. In 1859 the latter was sold for £30 to Causeway Head
Church nearSilloth. It was rplaced by a new 12 stop organ built by
Gray and Davison, one of the leading London builders, at a cost of
£240.
The 1859 organ was situated in the west gallery,
the traditional site for organs, but changing fashions meant that
50 years later the psoition was considered to be inconvenient for
services and 'in no way advantageous to congregational singing'.
The present organ dates from 1912, is by Harrisons
of Durham, and incorporates parts of the 1959 organ, although it
has two manuals and over 1100 pipes and 20 stops.
Music prior to the
introduction of the organ
Not much is known about the music in the church
prior to the introduction of the first barrell organ, but there is
in existence a tune called 'Wigton' in a manuscript dated 1723
currently in the local Record Office in Carlisle. This is a two
part tune, and appears to have been written locally by a musician
who was in the church quire at Holme Cultram Abbey, now Abbey
Town, about seven miles distant.
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