PUPILS from Dulverton Middle School pulled out all the stops when they helped with the first stages of a £27,000 restoration of the organ at St Mary's Church in Brompton Regis.

The children were invited to find out more about the workings of the classic instrument as it was carefully dismantled as part of a five-month-long refurbishment.

Williams Rees, the church's part-time organist, said local people had helped to raise money towards the cost of the overhaul, while the Heritage Lottery Fund had given a £6,500 grant.

The year six pupils explored the complex science behind the pipe organ and were able to play the keyboards and handle some of the pipes - even though they could not quite reach the organ's pedals!

The visit helped the children to find out more about social, church and musical history as part of their community curriculum and provided inspiration for a design and technology challenge to make their own wind instruments.

The church's organ dates back to 1872 and was built by the leading and technically-innovative Victorian practitioner T C Lewis.

Mr Rees said experts were surprised to find it in a small Somerset church and described it as a "hidden gem" and a "Rolls-Royce of an instrument".

"It has outstanding power and tonal quality and has recently been awarded an Historic Organ Certificate by the British Institute of Organ Studies," said Mr Rees.

The organ was installed in the church to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897.

"It was appropriate that we initiated our restoration project in the same jubilee year of our own Queen's reign," he added.

Pictured with the organ are, from the left, restorer Michael Farley and Mr Rees, who has also led the fundraising drive to pay for the refurbishment, with Dulverton Middle School pupils Freddie Fisher, Joe Priest, Sophia van der Spil and Emily Brennan.

Photo: Steve Guscott