Grade ll listed building in Dorset no longer 'at risk'
Tolpuddle Old Chapel has been removed from Historic England’s register
A Grade II listed building, dating back to 1818, in Tolpuddle has reopened following a nine-year regeneration project.
Historic England have officially removed The Tolpuddle Old Chapel from its “at risk” register after 25 years thanks to the work of local volunteers and skilled craftspeople.
Professor Philip Martin, chairman of The Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust (TOCT) said: “You could say for the first time in the building’s history, its future is now secure.”
When the Chapel first opened in 1818, it was quite “controversial,” so much so that when the minister left the building, he and his party were stoned by an anti-methodist crowd.
Fast forward to 2015 and the building was acquired by The Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust who began planning its repair but faced many challenges along the way.
Professor Philip Martin said: “Historic England said to us when you repair the cob, we need to know you’ll use the exact same kind of cop that was used originally.”
“Just by chance we found a local chalk pit in Affpuddle just a mile away, so Historic England came down, sampled it and found it to be an exact match to the originally.”
Specialist historic building architects and contractors were both involved in carrying out careful repairs.
Supported by grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, work began in November 2021.
Professor Martin added: “Getting it back to what it once was, has been a wonderful and exciting thing and something we are immensely pleased with.
We don't want this chapel just to become a relic of the past, we want it to be a local resource for people in Tolpuddle and the surrounding settlements to use and enjoy.”
As well as being a tourist attraction, the chapel will also be used for craft workshops, reading groups community events and even the occasional gig.