A new chapter in the history of Burton Latimer Parish Church was written on Sunday – with the opening of £50,000 Chapter House.

The Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Rev Douglas Feaver, dedicated the octagonal building which gets its name because it resembles the chapter houses of cathedrals.

Made from traditional Northamptonshire stone, it has been erected next to the rebuilt vestry and includes toilets and a small kitchen.

The building, which took 10 months to complete, will be in almost constant use as a meeting place for a variety of church organisations.

Special guests at the dedication included Kettering MP Roger Freeman and representatives from the builders Wright and Smith of Cogenhoe and architects Gotch, Saunders and Surridge, of Kettering.

The bishop later attended a parish lunch at the Recreation Centre in Pioneer Avenue with 140 members of the congregation.

Mr Bowles said: “We have needed somewhere to hold meetings for a long time and are very pleased with the building.  We had to use Weldon stone to fit in with the rest of the church and it certainly is a distinctive design.”

The money for the Chapter House came from bequests and the sale of Preston Hall and the Mission House in Finedon Road, Burton Latimer.