When you start with a dream that seems impossible, sometimes reaching the conclusion can feel almost like a relief.

For one English couple, their eight-year renovation project of an 18th-century church has finally come to a close, resulting in a truly remarkable and unique home. 

Ian Bottomley and Sally Onions purchased St. Nicholas’ Church in Kyloe, North Northumberland, in 2014 and worked tirelessly to transform it into a beautiful living space that retains the building’s original Gothic style and character.

Built in 1792, the church is a Grade II-listed building that required a great deal of work to restore all of its original features, such as timber ceiling trusses, stone pillars, and stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell. The couple even retained the former baptism font as a feature in the hallway and kept the 10 commandments written on tin in the main living space.

All photos by St. Nicholas Church House.

The couple did most of the work themselves and only hired help for the larger, skilled jobs such as the roof, steelwork, plumbing, and plastering. Even Sally’s mother, Margaret, contributed to the project.

Everything was on an outrageously big scale. Rather than a few bags of concrete, it was a wagonload of concrete, and you’re not talking about a few pots of paint. Everything had to be multiplied by 10,” Ian explained.

The building itself dictated the design, and the couple spent two years deciding on the design and getting permission from the local council and English Heritage. They were keen to preserve the Gothic style and character of the place, and the open-plan living area is at the heart of the home, incorporating the chancel, nave, and vestry. This huge room, with cast iron radiators and underfloor heating, serves as a living, dining, and kitchen space. The former vestry is now the backdrop for a bespoke kitchen, and steps lead from there to the fourth bedroom within the former high altar.

Two staircases lead to the first floor from both the entrance hall and the main open-plan living space. Above is a galleried library and shower room, and on the second floor are two bedrooms with timber roof trusses along with the stunning tower bedroom suite, within the former bell tower. A lobby opens to a dressing area with steps up to a further third-floor bedroom boasting spectacular views on three sides.

The church also comes with 1.4 acres of land, which includes a graveyard. The couple explained that the relatives of those buried there have a right to arrange a visit by appointment, but it isn’t a problem. “We tend to get a note through the letterbox about once or twice a year. It’s usually if someone has been studying their family tree,” Ian said. For those who want to develop the property further, there is even planning permission to convert a detached stone outbuilding into a two-bedroom cottage providing 781 sq. ft. of accommodation.

The couple are now selling their beautiful home, hoping to move closer to Glasgow airport where Ian has been based since becoming a pilot three years ago.

So it’s not ideal. In some ways, it’ll be a wrench to leave as we put so much work into it. But in other ways, it’s a relief it’s over! We don’t have to feel guilty now if we’re sitting out in the garden rather than working on the house,” Ian said.

Ian and Sally’s dedication to restoring St. Nicholas’ Church has paid off, resulting in a home that is truly one-of-a-kind. 

Watch below for a look at what it took to renovate the church.

Sources: Chronicle Live | Shareably