Tiny Black Country chapel to be demolished by hand after 90 years of worship

Moden Hill Strict and Particular Baptist Chapel, off The Ridgeway in Sedgley, will be dismantled by hand.

A long-serving member of the congregation, who declined to be named, said services attended by six to eight people continued to be held up until March.

"I have been going to the chapel since I was a baby, and I'm over 70 now," she said.

"But in recent years, the only regular attendees who went to every service were myself and my husband.

"My husband died this year, and the last service was his funeral in March.

"I couldn't keep it going on my own, and the trustees decided to demolish the chapel so the land could be sold off to help other good causes."

She said the black-and-white prefabricated building was erected 90 years ago as a temporary measure.

"You could say it has lasted rather well," she added.

"But the building contains a lot of asbestos, and has no running water or anything like that."

Dudley Council planners said it would have no objections to the demolition of the building.

Planning officer James Mead said: "There is nothing to suggest there are any buildings within the site which have any significant historic environment value.

"There is no architectural interest to the buildings."

Mr Mead said once demolition was complete, the site would be sealed off with boarding pending future redevelopment.