The Restoration Project

In the wake of the flood in November 2000, and the damage caused to the ground floor, the Baptist Chapel building was left in a sorry state. Visit the Gallery to see what it looked like in August 2007: plenty of scope for improvement ! A group of local residents, through the vehicle of the Diseworth Heritage Trust (DHT), decided that this historic building could not be left to rot.

With major grant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the purchase of the building was completed by the DHT in October 2007. The main contractor for the restoration was appointed in April 2008 (Midland Stonemasonry), and work commenced in May of that year.

Every aspect of the restoration had to reflect the spirit of the old Chapel, and work was scrutinised at every stage. Progress was initally good, but the presence of a colony of long-eared bats led to delays, and the project was finally completed in March 2009.

On this page you can find a series of photographs taken throughout the project. One of the most striking aspects is the amount of work that is now hidden from view (like the new under floor heating system) to give the excellent end result that is now the Diseworth Heritage Centre..

Views from March 2009

	March 2009: A view of the main hall from the balcony. The floor is complete, and the display cabinets have been installed.
	March 2009: The stairway to the first floor office is enclosed by this handsome glazed screen.
	March 2009: The rear of the building, showing the restored brickwork, painting and shutters.
	March 2009: The original entrance has been restored with new stonework, and is now the exit from the hall.
	March 2009: Opening day must be getting close - the signs are up !
	March 2009: Finishing touches to the paving by the new entrance, as the Trustees inspect the buiding.
	March 2009: A set of display boards, telling the story of the villages and surroundings have been installed.
	March 2009: The new kitchen has already been pressed into service, and is stocked with crockery and cutlery.
	March 2009: A view of the main hall. The cupboards at the far end are for storing chairs.
	March 2009: One of the restored windows in the main hall.
	March 2009: Outside the entrance, the original chapel sign has been mounted in the wall.
	March 2009: A close up view of the new door panel, engraved with lettering taken from inscriptions on gravestones.

Views from January 2009

	January 2009: The main hall, showing the progress with the floor and walls, and the framework in place for the cupboards and the wall panelling.
	January 2009: The upstairs (still with blanked out windows), showing the framework for the staircase surround, and many cables !
	January 2009: The kitchen - the tiles have be laid (and covered with protective plywood) and the wall plastering has started.
	January 2009: Tiling on the floor of one of the toilets. The tiles have been recycled from another church building.
	January 2009: The rear of the Chapel, showing the new slate roof in place, the brickwork repaired and re-pointed. The lower wall has been rendered, ready for painting.
	January 2009: A detailed view of part of the front roof, showing the original Swithland slate tiles that were stripped off and replaced and are now looking magnificent.
	January 2009: The site is now a hive of activity, with many trades working flat out to get the project completed.
	January 2009: The small room, with walls plastered and a pile of tiles waiting to be laid.

Views from October 2008

	October 2008: The under floor heating coils have now been laid down, prior to the completion of the flooring. These have now been covered over with a special screed.
	October 2008: A clever non-return valve has been installed on the bank of the brook, to avoid flooding. In theory at least, the water only flows down into the brook, and not back up again !

	October 2008: Working on the new drains - somebody has to do it !
	October 2008: Working on the new drains
	October 2008: The new Diseworth Retired Residents bench, provided by the Ken Chamberlain Trust, which has been made by master carpenter Nigel Atkinson, whose mother was a member of the Retired Resident's group. The bench will be placed in the Sanctuary Garden of the Heritage Centre.

Views from September 2008

September 2008: The new kitchen, showing progress on the roof: with the current weather, its essential to keep the rain out !

September 2008: The interior of the main space, showing the various layers being put in place for the floor.

September 2008: The new toilets at the front of the building taking shape.

September 2008: The kitchen taking shape.

September 2008: Setting out levels for the floor in the main room.

September 2008: The old carved sign from above the main entrance has been set into the perimeter wall.

September 2008: Boxes have been put up in the trees next to the brook, to house the long-eared bats.

September 2008: The front wall is almost complete.

Views from July 2008

July 2008: The main entrance, showing the cleaning work on the stone, and the traces of the old porch (v-shape over the doorway).

July 2008:   The re-building of the kitchen involves raising the roof level.

July 2008:   Rear of the building, showing the state of the brickwork.

July 2008:   One of the windows, showing the original timber lintel, and stone surround.

July 2008:   The interior, looking north.

July 2008:   The interior, looking south towards the kitchen area.

July 2008:   Painstaking cleaning of the window stonework.

July 2008:   The smaller entrance, showing where the doorway has been re-built at some point making it narrower.

July 2008:   Work on the footings for the new toilets.

Views from June 2008

June 2008: A general view of the front of the Chapel.

The front wall has been partly removed, to allow new footings to be inserted.

The windows have been removed and the openings boarded up.

June 2008: The interior, during the stripping out of the stage area.

A lot of small bricks were found buried as infill under the stage, and a further stock of matching bricks has been obtained from a reclamation yard to restore the visible brick-built parts.

June 2008: As part of the restoration, the original front entrance (which was previously bricked up) has been opened, and the stonework will be restored to its former glory.

Stone samples (Derbyshire sandstone) have been approved by the Conservation Officer for the repairs to the windows sills and door surrounds.

June 2008: At the rear of the chapel, the brick buttress has been removed. This was not actually in contact with the building as it was leaning slightly outwards, so was functionally redundant ! Compare this picture with the view here.

Note also the boarding up where the stained glass window panels have been removed from the site for repair and restoration.

June 2008: Working at height at the end where the kitchen once stood - note the Ascot boiler still attached to the wall !

A new kitchen will be built here, and to the front of the building at this end will be the toilets.

June 2008: The "Baptist Chapel" sign from over the front entrance, removed and ready for repair.

June 2008: The north end of the building, showing where the rendering on the front wall has been removed to allow repairs to the brickwork. Unfortunately the state of the old local Diseworth bricks means that the wall will need to be rendered again. Compare with the view here.

	September 2008: The new kitchen, showing progress on the roof: with the current weather, its essential to keep the rain out !
	September 2008: The interior of the main space, showing the various layers being put in place for the floor.
	September 2008: The new toilets at the front of the building taking shape.
	September 2008: The kitchen taking shape.
	September 2008: Setting out levels for the floor in the main room.
	September 2008: The old carved sign from above the main entrance has been set into the perimeter wall.
	September 2008: Boxes have been put up in the trees next to the brook, to house the long-eared bats.
	September 2008: The front wall is almost complete.

	July 2008: The main entrance, showing the cleaning work on the stone, and the traces of the old porch (v-shape over the doorway).
	July 2008: The re-building of the kitchen involves raising the roof level.
	July 2008: Rear of the building, showing the state of the brickwork.
	July 2008: One of the windows, showing the original timber lintel, and stone surround.
	July 2008: The interior, looking north.
	July 2008: The interior, looking south towards the kitchen area.

	July 2008: Painstaking cleaning of the window stonework.
	July 2008: The smaller entrance, showing where the doorway has been re-built at some point making it narrower.
	July 2008: Work on the footings for the new toilets.

	June 2008: A general view of the front of the Chapel. The front wall has been partly removed, to allow new footings to be inserted. The windows have been removed and the openings boarded up.
	June 2008: The interior, during the stripping out of the stage area. A lot of small bricks were found buried as infill under the stage, and a further stock of matching bricks has been obtained from a reclamation yard to restore the visible brick-built parts.
	June 2008: As part of the restoration, the original front entrance (which was previously bricked up) has been opened, and the stonework will be restored to its former glory. Stone samples (Derbyshire sandstone) have been approved by the Conservation Officer for the repairs to the windows sills and door surrounds.
	June 2008: At the rear of the chapel, the brick buttress has been removed. This was not actually in contact with the building as it was leaning slightly outwards, so was functionally redundant ! Compare this picture with the view here. Note also the boarding up where the stained glass window panels have been removed from the site for repair and restoration.
	June 2008: Working at height at the end where the kitchen once stood - note the Ascot boiler still attached to the wall ! A new kitchen will be built here, and to the front of the building at this end will be the toilets.
	June 2008: The "Baptist Chapel" sign from over the front entrance, removed and ready for repair.
	June 2008: The north end of the building, showing where the rendering on the front wall has been removed to allow repairs to the brickwork. Unfortunately the state of the old local Diseworth bricks means that the wall will need to be rendered again. Compare with the view here.