A COTSWOLD chapel that has served the community for more than 200 years is set to close.

Naunton Baptist Church, which is also home to the headquarters of the North Cotswold Food Bank, has been the home of Reverend Fiona Milton for the last 23 years.

But now a decision had been made by the “membership of Naunton and Guiting Baptist Church”, which includes Rev Milton and her husband James, to sell up and relocate to Guiting Power Baptist Church.

Rev Milton said that the chapel and the Manse had not yet gone on the market.

“We are consolidating into one building and we’re moving to another chapel in Guiting Power. The food bank is moving too,” she said. “It’s not for sale yet.

“We just don’t want to be managing two buildings when we can have one. It’s just consolidation and economic sense. We don’t know what’s going to happen to the chapel. It will be sold and the Manse will be sold.”

Residents who have their loved ones buried or cremated in the chapel garden have been told they can have their plots and plaques moved or they can to keep them in the garden but would have to check with the new owner before visiting.

A Cotswold resident whose daughter is buried in the chapel grounds said she did not want to move her daughter’s plot.

“I was very upset,” said the woman, whose identity is known to the Journal. “We both are. I just think it’s wrong. Anybody that knew her will be absolutely gutted.

They can’t move her if we don’t want to. We will just see how it goes.

“We were given options either to move her or leave her there and if you want to go and see her we have got to knock on the door of the owner of the Manse.”