CONSERVATIONISTS have failed to acquire and revive a derelict 18th-century chapel in the heart of Malmesbury despite receiving pledges of more than £100,000 from local people and businesses.

The Friends of Athelstan Museum (FOAM) believes that a “wonderful and unique opportunity” has been lost after their plans were scuppered when the Moravian Church was sold to a private buyer.

“What we feared has happened,” said joint project leader Roger Griffin. “The Moravian Church has been bought by someone else. They paid the full asking price and we hadn’t collected enough at that point to contest it.

“It’s very sad. I’d like to thank everyone who pledged their support. The response was fantastic.

“Over £100,000 was pledged from supporters, friends and local businesses and more was on the horizon. We were very heartened by this incredible response.”

But he said “all was not lost” as the Moravian schoolroom next to the chapel had come back on the market.

The group hoped to buy the 245 year-old Grade II listed church to use as a multi-purpose extension to the nearby Athelstan Museum for exhibitions and events.

The school is smaller “but does tick the boxes” and FOAM is investigating further.

Mr Griffin added: “The risk is, of course, like the church, it may sell before we can act.”

If they decide to make a bid they would ask supporters to transfer their pledges.

FOAM secretary Angela Sykes said they had no idea who acquired the chapel and for what purpose. However, she said: “The campaign to buy it was really good and showed great spirit and sense of community.”

Built in 1770, the chapel was used for well over 200 years by northern Europe’s oldest free church movement before the congregation left during the mid-1990s. It was bought by art collector Frank Faryab but remained empty and was repossessed in 2013 after he ran into financial problems.

The project to revive it would have cost an estimated £400,000, of which around £150,000 was required from supporters. About £50,000 was to have come under a mechanism for claiming cash from voluntary work on the structure with the remainder from Heritage Lottery Fund.