BIDDERS have the chance to own a piece of York Minster's musical heritage when it goes under the hammer.

An online auction, which launched on September 1, involves the sale of pipes from the grand organ located in the cathedral.

The auction has been organised to raise funds for a £2 million project which will refurbish the instrument.

Restoration work began last October and is expected to be completed in Autumn 2020.

Neil Sanderson, director of the York Minster Fund, said: “The auction is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own a piece of York Minster’s musical heritage, while supporting the future of organ music at the cathedral throughout the 21st century and beyond.”

The 30 pipes to be sold are part of a set of 102 which have been a part of the grand organ since 1832.

However, these pipes have been silent for more than 100 years, following the last major organ refurbishment in 1903.

Around 70 will be brought back into musical use but 30 were beyond repair and required replacements. Three of these pipes will be kept in the Minster’s collection as a record of the instrument.

The remaining original pipes will be cleaned and repainted by graining, marbling and ornamenting specialists, Robert Woodland & Son.

As part of the current project, the majority of the pipes are being restored.

The organ’s mechanism will be replaced while extensive work will be carried ou to clean and overhaul the instrument.

The Minster’s organ is one of the largest cathedral organs in the country, weighing approximately 20,000kg.

In total it has 5,403 pipes which range in length from the size of a pencil up to 10m long.

The auction will run until 12pm on Friday ,September 27, when the winners will be announced. For details, visit: organ.yorkminster.org.