On February 17th 2016 work began to dismantle the old pipe organ in St Mary's. Douglas Clare, one of our two churchwardens in April 2019 wrote the following article for the May issue of Contact.
Pipe Organ Restoration at St Mary's, Bampton. Work started on February 17th 2016 with the arrival of a second hand electric organ for use while the pipe organ was dismantled, taken away, parts renewed, enhanced and created. These pictures show the work on the pipe organ and the frame that was done at Cousans in Coleville, just SE of Loughborough. The pictures were taken by Ian, one of the senior skilled workers at Cousans.
These picture were taken in 2007 and show the electric motor which now drives the church clock. It used to be powered by weight and pendulum which had to be wound up twice a week along with the weight that drove the carillon.
The old carillon had to be turned off permanently in the end when too many pins on the drum had fallen out and simply would not stay in place when put back.
Dr Alan Gaydon was churchwarden at St Mary The Virgin for several years and during his tenure the gales of January 25th 1990 blew the stature of John The Baptist off the base of the spire.
This was a barn dance held in Saint Mary's in 2003 to help raise funds for the church. Bampton is lucky to have kept its retained fire service and the firemen and women very kindly move the pews both before and after the event.