A LOCAL historian wants to work with the Methodist community to find a ‘better solution’ ahead of the sale of Dimma Methodist Church, Jacobstow.

The church will be auctioned by Kivells at Crackington Haven Tennis Courts this Friday, June 4, at noon.

However, Barry West says he thinks there is a better way for the Methodist to find funding than ‘selling off the family silver’.

Mr West said he does not want to cause trouble but seeks to provide support to ensure these historic buildings are not lost and ‘unsympathetically renovated’. He said: “The reason that I’m challenging this is because I’m seeking a review. I want to get the Methodists in Cornwall to do a thorough review and audit and to work with interested parties to see if there is another way to deal with the property they are currently selling to the private sector.

“I just want them to take a pause and think without selling off the family silver so to speak, without getting rid of our heritage.”

Mr West said these chapels constitute a large part of Cornwall’s history, something he is keen to preserve: “These chapels are iconic, they were built by miners and farmers. This chapel in particular was built during the year they didn’t have a summer, that’s why the farmers built the chapel, because there was no harvest to bring in.

“It is also one of only six, we believe, to have its own stable and original manger. This is rare and buildings like this are very scarce. The manger isn’t the one that held the baby Jesus, but it would have been used to feed the animals and the horses of visiting preachers, who would have travelled across the country on horseback like they did in the days of John Wesley and when the chapel was built.

“That is why it is so iconic and important. I believe this chapel building could generate significant income that could go to supporting various other local chapels. Why let the private sector do what the Methodists could? It could be turned into a poetry retreat, or a place of religious retreat — it could be cared for in a sympathetic way.

“I don’t want to stop them but I think they need to take a pause and consider what the other options are.”

The auction of Dimma Methodist Church is due to be held at Crackington Haven Tennis Courts this Friday, June 4, at noon.