Inside the Cotherstone Old Chapel. Picture: Sarah Caledcott The closure of Cotherstone Wesleyan Chapel a couple of years ago coincided with the shutting of the post office and village shop, and together these losses threatened the workings of rural life. The community, though, has rallied around and obtained £180,000 from Durham County Council, raised £120,000 itself and ploughed countless volunteer hours into restoring the building.
At the end of June, it reopened as a café with a small shop attached. The raised sanctuary area in front of the organ has been kept, and carpeted, and the wooden lectern from which the minister led the service has been replaced by a glass screen, creating a very attractive sitting area. The box pews have been taken out, the floor reassembled, and now random-sized tables, chairs and sofas fill the main body of the chapel – they could do with a few more, judging by the numbers of people trying to squeeze into them last Saturday.
Each table is decorated with an attractive glass of wildflowers from a nearby flower farm. A flower arrangement on each table The café menu is understandably limited to sandwiches, scones – made at the chapel every day – and breakfast buns, but there’s also pork pies, Scotch eggs and sausage rolls from McFarlane’s of Barnard Castle. Hummus, tomato and chutney sandwich The sandwiches (all £6.
90), were beautifully presented in triangles accompanied by a salad, coleslaw and a few crisps. Theo, our son, had a p.