Kimberley funeral firm reassures customers as historic building goes up for sale

Gillotts Funeral Directors says that the lease of its funeral home in Main Street is “100% safe” despite the three-storey former United Methodist Free Church it is based in being recently placed on the market.

The business has fielded questions from customers about its future ever since a For Sale sign was erected above the door of the building, whose ground floor it has occupied since it moved in seven years ago.

Gillotts spent £200,000 to create a funeral home complete with a reception, family room and two chapels of rest, having relocated to the church from its previous location on Main Street

The property has been placed on the market by the executors of its previous owner, with an asking price of £510,000.

It is described as possessing stunning period features throughout with an outside terrace, car park spaces and upper floors that have recently been used for residential accommodation.

Anthony Topley, a partner in the firm that has served the town for two-and-a-half decades, wants to reassure people that the business is there to stay.

He said: “We’ve had quite a few people contacting us and wondering if we’re selling up because the wording of the sign is confusing, but we can confirm that our lease is 100% secure and the sale will have no impact on our service to families in and around Kimberley.

“We’ve had a presence in the town for 25 years and we feel very much a part of the community here.

“We invested a significant amount of money in creating a funeral home that we’re extremely proud of and which provides a comforting place for our families.

“The building is so well-known in the town and it never fails to attract comments, so we trust that it will attract a buyer who really understands how special and well-regarded it is.”