Welcome to St John's

History - Vestry, Organ Loft and Boiler Room

The part of the church which now comprises the Organ Loft, Vestry and Boiler Room originally contained the Bateman Warburton family pews. When first built, the music in church was provided by a small band of musicians, typically including a fiddle, cello, clarinet and piano. In 1895, however, Robert Heath generously paid for the installation of a fine three Manual Keyboard organ made by Steele and Keay of Burslem.

Originally it was operated by Manual pumping lever, until an electric blower was installed in 1949. The area underneath the Organ Loft was turned into a vestry, which has recently been refurbished to enable it to be used as a crèche room too.

The Organ loft also contains a wheel window, which in 1958, was extensively renovated, due to subsidence damage from old coal mine workings. The Church Heating system, housed under the Vestry at the South side of the Nave/Chancel, was originally installed in 1880, being coal-fired and working by gravity system (i.e. hot water rising). In 1890 a new coal-fired boiler system, new pipes and radiators were installed, courtesy of R. Heath. This remained in use until the early 1960s when an oil-fired boiler was installed, which has in turn been replaced by a gas boiler.

Organ Loft