Operated by East Boldre Community Stores Limited.
Community Benefit Society, number 8481
The Chapel Story Project (2023 - 2026)
We were keen to capture the history and interpret the heritage of East Boldre's Baptist Chapel at the point where its role in our community changed from a place of worship to our community shop and Post Office. In September 2023, East Boldre Community Stores was awarded £54,000 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund:
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£31,180 was towards the building works to repair and alter the chapel for use as our community shop. This included the exterior works to address damp issues as well as funds towards the costs of the kitchen and vestry refurbishment.
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The remaining £22,820 was for heritage specific activities - to research, interpret, share and celebrate the chapel's heritage
Our village's first church, the Baptist chapel is an intrinsic part of East Boldre's social history, founded in 1810 to serve our community's predominantly non-conformist congregation. More recently, its services, Sunday school, Harvest Festivals, and Carols by Candlelight were supplemented by a secular role had encompassed fetes, youth clubs, summer outings, barbeques, messy breakfasts, and a Happy Hour for local Mums. The church was closed by its members in 2021.
We engaged a wide range of people in the Chapel Story heritage project. These included 86 living memory interviews, 'Graveyard detective' workshops for 24 students, a presentation by Archeovision and gravestone recording sessions. Over 140 volunteers were involved in the project, helping with our research, gravestone cleaning, living memory interviews, proof reading our book 'Keeping the Lights Burning' and participating in the Graveyard Detective workshops.
If you visit Chapel Stores, take time to look at the exhibition in the former vestry and the graveyard interpretation panels. The QR codes beside each gravestone will enable you to access more of our research.
You can also buy a copy of the book that was produced which is on sale at Chapel Stores - "Keeping the Lights Burning - A history of the Baptist chapel and retail in East Boldre and the community's efforts to safeguard them 1810 - 2024" by Rebecca Gabzdyl and Judith Richardson. All profits from the book go to East Boldre Community Stores which is a community benefit society. This book draws upon Eric Smith's "A Light in the Forest - The History of East Boldre Baptist Church and brings this 1985 history up to date. Alongside the chapel's history, it explores the history of retailers in East Boldre to the point where we established Chapel Stores as a community owned and run business. The book includes over 440 images, maps and photographs relating to this history, many supplied by Tony Johnson, a local historian.
The 'Chapel Story' heritage project was led by Rebecca Gabzdyl, co-founder of East Boldre Community Stores and was completed in July 2026.
The Chapel's Records
The chapel's records have been transcribed and digitised. The handwriting was often difficult to decipher but our work has provided an easily readable and searchable reference copy of each record (church minutes and burial register).
The transcriptions are shared here under a creative commons licence, CC BY 4.0
1840s Tithe Map + Schedule
Tithes were a form of tax, traditionally 10% of agricultural produce, paid to support the Church of England. By the early 19th century, this system had become very unpopular amid growing social and economic pressures.
To implement the Tithe Commutation Act 1836, a national tithe survey, carried out between 1837 and 1850, recorded land ownership, occupation, and value.
Gravestone Recording
Having cleared the undergrowth we uncovered 54 gravestones. Following careful cleaning by volunteers, advanced imaging techniques were used to record and decipher each inscription. We then researched biographies of the people on each headstone. St Barbe's Young Curators and students at Priestland's were our 'Graveyard Detectives' and helped with this task.
Local Heritage Walk
East Boldre is surrounded by SSSI land and nearby Hatchett Pond is home to rare flora and fauna. The area was also an active centre of early aviation and evidence of this remains, for example the Beaulieu Letters'.
This walk takes in the best of our local heritage. Leaflets are available from Chapel Stores.
Preservation + Interpretation
Discovery, preservation and interpretation of the chapel's heritage and so it might be appreciated by a wider audience.
This includes the Baptistry (now infilled and outlined in the overlying flooring), the graveyard with over 500 burials in situ, gravestone repairs, Uncle Eddie's graffiti, heating and decorative ceiling roses.
We were fortunate to partner with St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery on the project:
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Using their reading room and its resources in our research of local history.
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They helped to coordinate and run the popular and engaging 'Graveyard Detective' series of workshops with their team of Young Curators and at Priestlands School.
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The vestry community space has hosted 3 of St Barbe's touring exhibitions to date, helping to bring art and heritage to local people's doorsteps.
Thanks to National Lottery players.