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54 minutes ago
These are certainly some heavenly homes
Once upon a time, church was the cornerstone of British life. The recurring slot in your Sunday morning calendar, where you would go to seek peace and community, the institution you would consult during times of hardship. But as less and less of us head on over to our parish church for a weekly Sunday service, the grand old buildings once used to worship on high have been transformed into family homes. From former churches and abbeys to rectories and vicarages, here’s our favourite properties with church connections on the market right now.
Designed by Sir George Gilbert-Scott, this Grade II listed former vicarage is nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds. Built in 1851, the home still retains many of its original features including 19th century stone fireplaces, decorative wooden door frames, restored stone mullion windows and flagstone floors. Its claim to fame? The house starred in popular TV series Jonathan Creek and a Channel 4 music video. On the market for £2.35m.
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When the current owners bought this home in 2017, it was nothing more than a deteriorating old church on the market for a mere £85,000. Splashing out £420,000 on conversions over a period of six years – including adding back in the rotted-away roof – it’s now been transformed into a £1.5m four-bed family home. Originally built in 1846, this Grade II listed property possesses rare heights of drama. Once the church’s nave, the main hall now offers open-plan living complete with soaring gothic arches and double-height windows, while the former chancel has been reimagined as a relaxed seating area. Outside, the remains of the original aisle have been reimaged as an open-air courtyard complete with gothic columns. Complete with vaulted ceilings and a bell tower ripe for conversion, this is one heavenly home. On the market for £995,000.
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First documented in the late 1120s as a chapelry of the nearby Leominster Priory, by the early 1200s Ford Abbey (as it is known today) was brought under the ownership of Reading Abbey and used to house a small community of monks who cared for the sick and needy. When the current owners inherited Ford Abbey – then a derelict farmstead – they undertook a sensitive restoration of the property and converted the barn into its own leisure complex. On the market for £2.57m.
This converted Grade II listed church has been reborn as a contemporary five-bedroom home. Alongside its more traditional features – including original stained glass windows, baptism font, Victorian orangery and steeple – this Derbyshire home is complete with a glass walkway, bell tower bar, and mezzanine cinema room which peers out from the balcony on a floating glass floor. On the market for £1.25m.
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An unusually light home for its gothic style, this former rectory balances the history of original wine cellars, fireplaces and libraries with the fun of an indoor pool, gym and jacuzzi. Out front, the principle rooms are depicted on carved stone plaques: with the reception hall represented by a pair of shaking hands, the study by a Bishops Mitre and the music room by a harp. Designed by Royal Institute of Architects co-founder William Donthorne, the drawings of the ground floor and front elevation are housed in the V&A, while the gardens were more recently remodelled by Chelsea Best in Show 2007 winner Sarah Eberle. On the market for £3.4m.
Built in 1709 as a vicarage for the neighbouring church, this Grade II* listed Queen Anne house is located in the quiet East Sussex countryside. Despite its seven-bedrooms, plus music room, conservatory, drawing room, snug, cellar, conservatory and gym, the stand-out feature is the perfectly manicured gardens and flower beds. On the market for £1.495m.
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Dating back to the 1860s, this house forms the central part of a Victorian mansion. Complete with original sash windows, period floor tiles and detailing cornicing, don’t be perturbed if any neighbours come walking through the front door on a Sunday morning – it does look remarkably like it could be the local church. On the market for £1.425m.
This Grade II listed former rectory looks like something out of a storybook. Lined with strong Tudor beams and dripping with wisteria, this home is rife with period details. While the original house dates back to the 16th century, it comes with two additional ancillary cottages. On the market for £1.5m.
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One of the most important houses in the village of Long Sutton, Historic England dates this Grade II* listed manor house all the way back to the late 15th century. Ruled over by the adjacent church tower, key features include the mullion stone windows, original fireplaces and 16th century decorative stained glass window. Beyond the six bedrooms there is a converted coach house and granary, as well as potential access to a quaint little pony paddock. On the market for £1.75m.
This apartment in the roof of a converted chapel is complete with stained glass windows and high wood-beamed ceilings. Complete with a mezzanine gym and study, plus a galleried reception area, wake up to the morning light streaming through the circular church window. On the market for £1.9m.
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A former 19th-century Methodist chapel, this historic property has been transformed into a five-bedroom home nestled in the charming village of Oakridge Lynch. Key features include the strikingly high ceilings, a Vestry turned kitchen, and sunken floor living room, as well as the old gallery accessed by a winding staircase, and 18th century school room turning living space. On the market for £850,000.
Another former rectory, this late 17th/early 18th century Grade II listed property has been transformed into a historic family home. Gothic details and jacuzzi spa baths aside, the stand-out feature of this home are the over 14 acres of landscaped gardens thought to have been modelled by Capability Brown. Head outside to explore the summerhouse, rose beds, willow tree, orchard and woodland. On the market for £2.95m.
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