The Old Chapel Cotherstone

About

Step inside and you'll find far more than you might expect. Our café and shop serve as the village's essential services, but we're also home to a computer hub, meeting spaces for community groups, and a growing archive of local history.

Our volunteer team keeps everything running smoothly, from baking fresh treats to maintaining our developing community garden. We host regular events, support local groups, and provide facilities that help our community thrive. Whether you're looking for a quiet space to work, somewhere to meet friends, or a place to learn about local history, we've got you covered.

The building itself tells a story too. This beautiful 150-year-old Methodist chapel has been lovingly restored to blend its historical character with modern community needs.

Start your day with a proper breakfast bap filled with quality local ingredients, or pop in later for our famous homemade scones that customers keep raving about. Our scones come with just butter, or you can have jam and cream with the fruit varieties, or cheese and chutney with the cheese ones. Some adventurous customers even mix and match - who says you can't have jam with a cheese scone?

Our coffee comes from Limini Coffee, and you can take smaller bags home to enjoy their excellent roast in your own kitchen. Fancy something cool? All our coffees can be made iced, including our popular iced caramel latte with whipped cream that's perfect for sunny days or our warming Gingerbread Latte that can be enjoyed during the festive period!

Beyond coffee, we serve warming homemade soup, hearty jacket potatoes, freshly made sandwiches plus delicious pastries and weekly specials. Everything can be taken away if you're in a hurry, and we love welcoming cyclists and walkers who need fuel for their Teesdale adventures. (Give us a heads up by booking for large groups and we’ll make sure we have plenty of food to sustain your journey!)

Our shop celebrates the incredible producers right here in Teesdale. The star of the show is undoubtedly Cotherstone cheese - one of our most popular items that gets delivered every other Wednesday. You'll need to be quick though, as locals know exactly when it arrives!

We stock fresh organic milk from Acorn Dairy near Darlington, free-range eggs from High Beverley Farm near Middleton-in-Teesdale, and delicious ice cream from English Lakes Ice Cream.

For everyday essentials, we've got you covered with bread, household basics, and kitchen necessities. We even sell stamps (£1.70 for first class, 87p for second class) and stock the Teasdale Mercury newspaper every Friday so you can catch up on local news. Don't forget your furry friends - we stock cat and dog food too, plus artisan treats and seasonal gifts that make perfect presents.

The Old Chapel exists to serve our community in every sense of the word. We're a Community Benefit Society, which means everything we do is designed to benefit the people of Cotherstone and the wider Teesdale area. We're not just preserving a beautiful building - we're creating a space where community life can flourish.

Our mission is simple: to provide essential services, preserve local heritage, and create opportunities for people to connect. Whether that's over a proper cup of coffee, whilst volunteering in our community garden, or discovering the fascinating history of our village, we're here to bring people together.

From our café serving homemade local produce to our heritage projects documenting village history, every aspect of our work is guided by our commitment to community benefit.