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Man builds chapel for wife whose church is 'too busy'

A retired watch importer has built a 12-seater chapel for his wife after she said that her own church was too overcrowded. Jon Richards, 63, built the chapel, which includes an altar, font and a tapestry of the Last Supper, next to the family farmhouse in Mappleborough Green, Worcestershire. To assemble the chapel, Mr Richards and his wife Muriel visited scrap yards and markets all over Europe in what they call a two and a half year “labour of love”.

The chapel is now being used for weekly services for the Richards’ friends and family. A local vicar has also agreed to perform home communion services four times a year. The chapel has even received requests to be used as a wedding venue, but has had to turn them down as it has not been consecrated.

Mr Richards said, "I built it for Muriel because she's really passionate about her religion but the local church is often too busy,” reports The Telegraph. "She's delighted to stand at the front of services and hand out the bread and wine to everybody then organise the music. The building is so peaceful that we often spend our long summer evenings in there relaxing when there's no service."

The chapel is only 12ft by 8ft. As a result the Richards could not fit the font they had bought inside, so they now keep it outside the entrance. All the features of the chapel, which has been named the Twelve Crosses Church, were acquired from old church buildings, with the exception of the windows which were made by a glazier who is a friend of the couple.

Mr Richards said, "The chapel is like a jigsaw puzzle of different church architecture and I would love to know the history of each part."

The Richards are still active members of their local Anglican congregation at the Church of The Holy Ascension.

Mrs Richards said, "Jon's become the expert on everything to do with the chapel – I just go in there to relax and pray."


And to think that I used to make do with a cupboard under the stairs when I could have been working on the shed inthe garden ....