RELATIVES of ancestors buried at a former chapel site in Bridgwater have the chance to recover their remains before building work begins.

Sion Chapel in Friarn Street was demolished in 1971 and the plot has remained unused and overgrown until now.

But work to clear the site is now scheduled to start and that will involve the disinterment and reburial of the remains.

There were 265 recorded burials between 1822 and 1859 and a specialist archaeologist company will carry out the exhumations.

But descendents are being the chance to claim their relatives and arrange their own reburial.

People have until November 6 to notify developers of their intent to remove a relative from the site.

Acorn Developments South-West plans to build a four-storey building to provide a 45-bedroom care home and a three-storey building to form six care apartments for the elderly on the site.

Stuart Milby, fieldwork manager at Context One which is in charge of the exhumation, said: “We have done quite a few of these but people rarely come forward because people are so far removed from the bodies but we have to give a public notice because of people’s rights.

“We will make sure the bodies are moved with respect and that everything is done properly.”

Mr Milby said this is the final notice before they actually begin the task of exhuming the remains.

Work to remove the bodies is set to begin on November 25.

Anyone who wishes to remove remains of a relative has until this date to make their own arrangements before archaeologists start the exhumation process.

The bodies will then be analysed before their reinterment at Bristol Road Cemetery in Bridgwater.