High Chapel - PUBLIC MEETING 23rd November 2006

Your chapel or someone else’s?

This is your chance to offer your opinion about High Chapel’s future. The venue for this will be High Chapel itself – now confirmed. If we don’t take this “once in a life time” opportunity, that will be that. The chapel will become someone else’s and its future will not be in our hands – what will future generations think about that? If the chapel falls into the hands of people who have no interest in Ravenstonedale, its history and its people – they will do what they want – whatever protests you make. Once the ownership is outside the village no covenants, clauses or restrictions will apply and as to “listed building status” – many a listed building has been allowed to fall into a dangerous state and be demolished.

This forward looking project will attract and sustain people in the growing village and contribute to a living village, rather than a shrinking village. The village needs people to thrive and people need culture, history – a sense of “place” with civic facilities local to people who may not be able to travel. High Chapel has the potential for disabled access – the only building to have this, as yet. Many other villages have their centre, in progress or built already; Crosby Ravensworth, Soulby, Mungrisdale, and many others. Kirkby has its own Community Centre. In this age of rising travel, fuel and environmental costs, it makes sense to have our own village civic centre, a gateway to Ravenstonedale, information and visitor welcome centre, a sign posting focal point to the rest of Ravenstonedale.

“It was without architectural pretensions, but withal possessed a simplicity that touched the imagination”, Revd. Nicholls wrote in his famous History and Traditions of Ravenstonedale, Westmorland. He continued “Beauty resides largely in the eye of the beholder, and to these such buildings become venerable and sacred”. In 1693 the indenture listed George Parkin of Lowcome, yeoman,Thomas Fothergill of Brownbarr, yeoman, Peter Pinder of the Borough of outhwark, gentleman, William Milner of Assefell, Christopher Todd of the Nethergarths, Thomas Knewstubb of the Dubbs, James Perkin of Greenside, Richard Hunter of Bowbarhead, Robert Fothergill and George Murthwaite both of Wath, and Henry Cautley of Greenside, yeoman. You will note the continuity of names and places - history watches to see what Ravenstonedale will make of itself today, going forward.

We would lose more than a building, more than our history. It would seem then that Ravenstonedale did not have the imagination, courage or self interest to invest in its self, to create a neighbourhood centre that will enrich village life into the future. If the village is to prosper and grow, we need create opportunities and places where they can take root. A village centre will attract income, attract new chances for village growth and invigorate Ravenstonedale, whilst preserving a historic building and its family heritage. If we lose sight of our history we lose the lessons told in it and are condemned to repeat our mistakes; dissenters arise, make sure the reasons for Non Conformity are remembered. What would the Revd. W. Nicholls write about the loss of the chapel? What would the generations of Ministers buried in the grounds say? What will the children of the next generations say?

Come to the meeting and have your say – be positive, come with solutions and suggestions, but do come. Come to the meeting at High Chapel, come with a prayer.
FC