Some may see this as sacrilegious — but if you’re feeling particularly spiritual, this might be the home for you.
A 19th-century church that was badly burned in a 2019 fire has been converted into a modern mansion — and is now on sale for $4.42 million.
Located in southwest England, in the seaside resort town of Torquay, the Victorian Gothic-style church was “resurrected from its neglected past and transformed into a spectacular home for the 21st Century family,” the listing explains.
Known as the Trinity House, couple John and Amy Watson from Bristol purchased the church in a February 2021 auction for $113,000.
The Watsons, who work in construction, reckoned it would be a good renovation project after realizing they needed more space to run around with their five children and five grandchildren.
The church is located in Torquay, England. Jam Press
The main floor of the cathedral turned into an expansive living room with ambient lighting. Jam Press
The tower boasts harbor views. Jam Press
The kitchen. Jam Press
The formal dining area. Jam Press
Stained glass windows have been refurbished. Jam Press“We are restoring it back to how it should be,” Amy told Devon Live at the time, adding that amid the cleanup of the abandoned church, they discovered a secret door to the presbytery — known as the house reserved for the priest — and a secret staircase to the church’s tower.
“We didn’t know it was there until we investigated. Everything we find is being lovingly repaired,” Amy said. “We want everybody to rest assured that this building is now in safe hands.”
“It’s been open to the elements since the fire,” Amy said. “All the soft play equipment was still there and it was infested with rats. The tower below the spire has three levels and we removed eight large skips of pigeon poo from just one 4 [meter]-by-4 [meter] level — it was 23 [tons] of bird poo.”
Now made up of five bedrooms and five bathrooms, the landmark home features an open living plan with cathedral ceilings, Gothic arches, tracery windows and stained glass windows.
One of five bedrooms. Jam Press
Another bedroom. Jam Press
One of five bathrooms. Jam Press
The billiards room. Jam Press
The staircase leading up to the second level. Jam PressSituated alongside a river, the home church was first built in the 1890s. Before it was burned down, it was converted into a former fun house for kids from 2001 to 2017.
Made up of three floors, the tower has a place for an office and a sitting area and boasts views of the harbor.
The gated estate also comes with a garden and lots of space to host events.
Rightmove with John Couch Estate Agent holds the listing.
