Operated by East Boldre Community Stores Limited, a voluntary organisation.
Owned by it members, predominantly local people.
Community Benefit Society, number 8481
The 'Chapel Story' Project
We are keen to capture the history and interpret the heritage of the chapel at this point where its role in our community changes.
Our village's first church, the 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 was supplemented by a secular role that encompassed fetes, youth clubs, summer outings, barbeques, messy breakfasts and a Happy Hour for local Mums.
We have been awarded £54,000 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards the ongoing Chapel Story project which includes
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Repairs to building to address penetrating damp
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The kitchen which is used daily for shop food prep.
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Key church records have been transcribed and digitised so that they can be easily searched, analysed and shared online.
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Interpretation of the chapel's built heritage, in particular:
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The architectural and historical features of the building.
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Recording and deciphering the 54 headstone inscriptions using advanced imaging techniques.
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Interpretation to commemorate the 500+ burials onsite
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Repairs to the box tomb - the only surviving marked grave.
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A permanent exhibition of the chapel's history in the vestry.
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The chapel's history from 1810 to 1985 is documented in Eric Smith's booklet “A Light in the Forest”. A revised edition this book will bring the history up to the present day and will also include a history of retail in the village.
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We are partnering with St Barbe Museum who bring a wealth of expertise, knowledge and contacts who we can engage as advisors and participants in the Chapel Story project.
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The heritage project is being led by Rebecca Gabzdyl, the founder of East Boldre Community Stores, who successfully managed the project to establish Chapel Stores.
Natural Heritage
East Boldre is surrounded by SSSI commoned land and nearby is Hatchett Pond, the New Forest's largest body of fresh water and home to nationally rare flora and fauna.
The area was also an active centre of early aviation and evidence of this remains, for example the Beaulieu Letters' which this walk passes by.
This walk takes in the best of our local heritage including Hatchet Pond.
Gravestone Recording
Of the 500+ burials on the chapel site 54 gravestones remain; some are very eroded and no longer fully legible.
All of the gravestones have now been recorded using reflectance transformation imaging to reveal the full inscriptions and photogrammetry has been used to produce 3D models of each gravestone.