New photos show Market Drayton Cemetery Chapel as longstanding restoration works completed
Months of careful restoration work on a historic chapel in Market Drayton have been completed, with new photos revealing beautifully restored windows that date back to the 1800s.
The project, funded and overseen by Market Drayton Town Council, involved complex repairs and replacements to the cemetery chapel’s ageing glasswork and cost nearly £17,000.
Work began in October last year; but the town council revealed in January that dealing with windows of such age was proving "challenging" and presented "all sorts of little problems".
Scaffolding was erected around the cherished building earlier this year, and now, after a painstaking process that faced a number of heritage challenges, Market Drayton Cemetery Chapel has been given a new lease of life.
A town council spokesperson said: "I can confirm that the work has been completed, and that Market Drayton Town Council is delighted with the successful restoration of the chapel’s glass windows.
"The improvements have not only enhanced the visual appearance of the building, but they have also ensured it is now properly protected from the elements."
There were concerns that, without action, the chapel's windows would become unsafe in the future, and so the town council moved to have them replaced or repaired.
Market Drayton Mayor Councillor Tim Manton said the chapel is looking "beautiful".
He said: "I'm delighted that the works have finished. The cemetery is an incredibly important place that we have, and the town council takes responsibility of it very seriously.
"We therefore look after it and its future. The chapel windows were in a terrible state of disrepair and had been for a long time. They are now sorted, so we are really pleased about that.
"It has been a long and slow process, but I'm sure most would understand that there are very few suppliers that work in the profession, but they have made a great job of it and we are very pleased with it.
"It looks absolutely stunning, and it goes together with other works there including the replacement of a section of railings, the walls being repointed, and the last piece of burial ground that has been consecrated.
"We are over the moon it has been completed."
