An author and Dartmoor enthusiast has announced the future reopening of the Old Tea Room in the Belstone Methodist Chapel which he bought to ensure it remained a community space.

The future of the chapel had become uncertain after the tearoom closed and the Methodist church decided to put the building up for sale by tender. However, Peter Caton, the author of several books on Dartmoor, decided to place a bid for the building after hearing it was up for sale in order to ensure the chapel was not repurposed as a second home or holiday-let and instead remained in use for the community.

Peter said: “I had sold my business and I wanted to do something worthwhile and this seemed an ideal project – keeping the chapel in the community. As a customer of the café at various times in the year, I was aware that it is enjoyed by walkers, visitors to Belstone and local people and felt it would be a huge loss to everyone. It would be particularly sad if after serving the community for 135 years, the building were to be sold for private use as a dwelling, second home or holiday let.”

He added: “My vision was to purchase the chapel and lease the school room to a local person who wishes to run the café, keeping it in use for the community and those who visit or walk from Belstone, retaining it as a focus of the village and providing employment, including for young people in the village.”

The new tearoom will be run by lifelong Belstone resident Kelly Gilbert, and Peter is now looking into possible uses for the main chapel space. He is currently gathering residents’ and visitors’ opinions but is already considering it as a potential art exhibition space, meeting point for guided walks, or space for activities and workshops.

The Methodist church has not used the chapel for regular services for many years but prior to the closure of the tearoom had used the café space for occasional “café worship” sessions. Peter is keen to ensure the building still remains a suitable place for worship if the Methodist church ever wishes to reuse the space for regular or occasional services.

“I would want the chapel to be open at the same times as the café, as it has been, for those who wish to look inside or sit quietly,” said Peter. “As much as possible, I would want to retain the internal fabric of the chapel, its reverence and atmosphere and for it to remain suitable for at least occasional use as a place of worship, the purpose for which it was built and has served for so long.

Peter lives in Essex but his parents hail from Devon, and he fell in love with Dartmoor when his father took him out for a walk on the moors aged six. Today, it is a favourite holiday spot for him and his family, and the topic of three of his books.