A village chapel surrounded by graves and a War Memorial is possibly the last place most people could imagine living.

But through the ornate keyhole of one such building, that is draped in hundreds of years of history, could soon lie someone's far-from-average home.

Villagers in Thornton-le-Beans, near Northallerton, are horrified at the prospect of their redundant, Grade II listed chapel being converted into a home.

The former Chapel of Ease has not been used for ten years and was put up for sale by the Church Commissioners more than a year ago. Villagers formed The Friends of the Chapel of Ease to fight a planning application to convert it into a house.

Trustee Penny Pilling said: "We have a very strong case to put across. The Friends represent the bulk of the people in the village and quite simply they don't want this to happen.

"It is a small village and we don't have a lot. Our local shop and post office have closed and we don't want to loose the chapel as well. It is our local heritage."

Hambleton District Council's development control committee meets on Thursday and the Friends will voice their hostility to the plan.

Mrs Pilling said people regularly visited the graves and plots were well maintained by volunteers.

She said: "Many relatives are absolutely horrified that they may have to go and visit the graves of family and friends while someone is living in the chapel.

"We find it bizarre that anyone would want to live within a churchyard anyway."

Trustee Norman Boden said: "I feel it is totally inappropriate. We can't believe it has got to this stage, we never thought anyone would actually want to buy it and live there."

The Friends are prepared to take on the responsibility of the chapel and raise funds for its upkeep and refurbishment.

Planning officer Tim Wood said there would be no problem with overlooking as many of the windows were stained glass.

The first planning application was refused in August 2001 on the grounds that the chapel's appearance may be harmed and there was a lack of amenity and parking.

Mr Wood said that the alterations to the new plan meant that the present proposals complied with council requirements