Bid to buy former chapel and 31 family graves

Five generations of Charles Green's family are buried in the graveyard

A Shropshire couple hope and pray their family chapel, being auctioned by the Methodist Church, stays in community hands.

Charles Green's family helped establish Maesbrook Primitive Chapel in 1899, and the previous chapel before that in 1844.

Thirty-one of his relatives, including his parents and both sets of grandparents, are buried in the graveyard.

His wife Sally Whipple Green said they were bidding for the chapel, in the hope of turning it into a community hub.

The graveyard is full of memorial stones bearing the surnames Green, Davies and Ward - five generations of Mr Green's family.

Congregation of four

Many of them were instrumental in establishing, funding and keeping the Methodist chapel alive in Maesbrook, which lies near the Welsh border at Llanymynech.

Ms Whipple Green said there were just four people worshipping at the chapel when the Shropshire & Marches Methodist Circuit closed the building last year.

It is being auctioned on the 29 November along with Asterley Methodist Chapel and The Old Hope Church in Oswestry.

Mr Green said his family, and others in the community, not only helped pay to build the existing chapel in 1899 and the previous place of worship in 1844, but also charged "a pittance" for the plot. He thinks there is an argument for the building to be handed back to community.

The couple plan to bid for the chapel, which has an asking price of £30,000 to £40,000 but is expected to sell for a lot more.

"Part of my plan is to still allow it to be used by the community, and to keep the fabric of the chapel to as near as possible to how it always was," Ms Whipple Green said.

Maesbrook chapel was built in 1899 - the second to be built on the site

Halls Auctioneers said the Methodist Circuit would retain Right of Access for burial purposes. The Greens have already secured their plot.

Whoever buys the chapel will be responsible for the upkeep of the graveyard and required to fence it off.

The couple are appealing for help from the community to realise their dream to turn it into a community hub.

They suggest it could host a cafe, craft centre and museum, and possibly offer so-called champing, where people pay to stay in churches and chapels.