Malmesbury Town Council has put funds in place for essential repairs to the town’s 140-year-old chapel.
Work on the roof of the Victorian building, located in front of the Tetbury Hill cemetery, is due to take place in the spring and early summer.
In recent years, the chapel — which was built in the 1880s as a non-denominational place of worship, for small services — has fallen into disuse and is closed to the public.
Councillors want to breathe new life into the historic building, but the first step is to make it watertight. They hope the chapel will once again be used for funeral and interment services and also be available more widely for community groups.
Cllr Ian Wallis, who sits on Malmesbury Town Council’s Burial Committee, said: “The chapel has been a landmark in Malmesbury for around 140 years, and is a wonderful piece of our local history. Our focus is on making it a functional space once again, so we are continuing our conversations with interested parties to decide how best to approach the internal works as we move forward.”
The stone chapel, which isn’t listed, is about 30 feet long and 16 feet wide, and contains period features, including a wooden vaulted ceiling. The building is structurally sound, but will need some restoration, redecoration and other works.
