A FORMER village chapel in north Dorset is to be converted into a home.

St John the Baptist at Farrington, a grade 2 listed building, has not been used for its original purpose for more than 40 years.

The chapel was extensively rebuilt in 1856 and restored again in 1899, but is believed to be of medieval origin. In 1985 the entire roof was removed, new roof battens and felting installed and the original stone, tiles and ridged put back in place. Internally the lathe and plaster ceiling was also replaced.

Conversion works, agreed by Dorset Council, will see the external structure remain largely intact but with the internal work to include repairs to the ceiling and laying new concrete floors.

A new gravel drive will be put in place outside with alterations to the existing hedge and a proposed new hedge. Two new spaces will be created for parking with a new area created for bins.

The conversion only allows for one bedroom. An application was made in 2018 for conversion of the church and the addition of a linked new building but was withdrawn after consultation with planning officers.

The conversion will retain the double height to the east over a living room with a mezzanine floor covering just over half the space with a bathroom and open space underneath the bedroom. Three new rooflight in the northern side of the building will provide additional natural light and ventilation while a hole will be cut in the roof for a wood burner flu. One of the existing windows will be made larger to accommodate a new doorway.

Church records show that the chapel did not have any adjoining burial area or graveyard and there were no burials within the church building.

According to the Church Commissioners records, prior to closure, St John’s was a chapel-of-ease rather than a parish church which meant that villagers would have been buried at the parish church which is believed to have been at East Orchard.