Pious Victorians embraced religion and morality in equal measures on both sides of the Atlantic during the late 19th century, and while many chapels have become redundant as congregations have dwindled, they’ve found second lives as characterful homes.
Here are three converted churches for sale right now that offer dramatic scale – and sanctuary.
Clifton Heights Inn, St Louis.
6 bedrooms; £1.4m via Circa Old Houses. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Missouri, Clifton Heights is a former Methodist church turned boutique B&B, dating from 1887. The redbrick building was converted into a private residence in 2004 and clocks in at a whopping 10,000 sq ft, including six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. Most spectacular is the sanctuary – an open volume housing the kitchen and family room, flanked by glorious stained glass windows. The old pulpit has been repurposed while ecclesiastical features have been retained and made a virtue of elsewhere, including arched stained-glass windows in the bathroom. Meanwhile, the nave is now a cosy seating nook for guests. Photography: Circa Old Houses
Clifton Heights Inn, St Louis.
6 bedrooms; £1.4m via Circa Old Houses. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Missouri, Clifton Heights is a former Methodist church turned boutique B&B, dating from 1887. The redbrick building was converted into a private residence in 2004 and clocks in at a whopping 10,000 sq ft, including six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. Most spectacular is the sanctuary – an open volume housing the kitchen and family room, flanked by glorious stained glass windows. The old pulpit has been repurposed while ecclesiastical features have been retained and made a virtue of elsewhere, including arched stained-glass windows in the bathroom. Meanwhile, the nave is now a cosy seating nook for guests. Photography: Circa Old Houses
Clifton Heights Inn, St Louis.
6 bedrooms; £1.4m via Circa Old Houses. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Missouri, Clifton Heights is a former Methodist church turned boutique B&B, dating from 1887. The redbrick building was converted into a private residence in 2004 and clocks in at a whopping 10,000 sq ft, including six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. Most spectacular is the sanctuary – an open volume housing the kitchen and family room, flanked by glorious stained glass windows. The old pulpit has been repurposed while ecclesiastical features have been retained and made a virtue of elsewhere, including arched stained-glass windows in the bathroom. Meanwhile, the nave is now a cosy seating nook for guests. Photography: Circa Old Houses
Clifton Heights Inn, St Louis.
6 bedrooms; £1.4m via Circa Old Houses. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Missouri, Clifton Heights is a former Methodist church turned boutique B&B, dating from 1887. The redbrick building was converted into a private residence in 2004 and clocks in at a whopping 10,000 sq ft, including six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. Most spectacular is the sanctuary – an open volume housing the kitchen and family room, flanked by glorious stained glass windows. The old pulpit has been repurposed while ecclesiastical features have been retained and made a virtue of elsewhere, including arched stained-glass windows in the bathroom. Meanwhile, the nave is now a cosy seating nook for guests. Photography: Circa Old Houses
The French Protestant Church apartments in Brighton. 2 bedrooms; £2m via Mishon Welton. Recently converted, this property sits on its own square just off Brighton’s western seafront, the Queensbury Mews and is one of only two French protestant churches built in the UK (the other is in London). The Gothic, redbrick style and has been re-imagined as a two-bedroom home replete with original features and spatial wizardry to maximise its floor plan. But don’t expect minimalist loft living, instead, the dwelling leans hard into its history via a soft grey and white colour palette with wood panelling and a Shaker-style kitchen. The soaring, vaulted ceiling is exposed, with a steel skeleton inserted beneath the eaves to create a mezzanine bedroom suite, complete with a freestanding bathtub in front of the gothic stained-glass windows. And of course, pews and built-ins from the church have been retained or repurposed to show its past. Photography: Mishon Welton
The French Protestant Church apartments in Brighton. 2 bedrooms; £2m via Mishon Welton.
Recently converted, this property sits on its own square just off Brighton’s western seafront, the Queensbury Mews and is one of only two French protestant churches built in the UK (the other is in London). The Gothic, redbrick style and has been re-imagined as a two-bedroom home replete with original features and spatial wizardry to maximise its floor plan. But don’t expect minimalist loft living, instead, the dwelling leans hard into its history via a soft grey and white colour palette with wood panelling and a Shaker-style kitchen. The soaring, vaulted ceiling is exposed, with a steel skeleton inserted beneath the eaves to create a mezzanine bedroom suite, complete with a freestanding bathtub in front of the gothic stained-glass windows. And of course, pews and built-ins from the church have been retained or repurposed to show its past. Photography: Mishon Welton
The French Protestant Church apartments in Brighton. 2 bedrooms; £2m via Mishon Welton. Recently converted, this property sits on its own square just off Brighton’s western seafront, the Queensbury Mews and is one of only two French protestant churches built in the UK (the other is in London). The Gothic, redbrick style and has been re-imagined as a two-bedroom home replete with original features and spatial wizardry to maximise its floor plan. But don’t expect minimalist loft living, instead, the dwelling leans hard into its history via a soft grey and white colour palette with wood panelling and a Shaker-style kitchen. The soaring, vaulted ceiling is exposed, with a steel skeleton inserted beneath the eaves to create a mezzanine bedroom suite, complete with a freestanding bathtub in front of the gothic stained-glass windows. And of course, pews and built-ins from the church have been retained or repurposed to show its past. Photography: Mishon Welton
The French Protestant Church apartments in Brighton. 2 bedrooms; £2m via Mishon Welton. Recently converted, this property sits on its own square just off Brighton’s western seafront, the Queensbury Mews and is one of only two French protestant churches built in the UK (the other is in London). The Gothic, redbrick style and has been re-imagined as a two-bedroom home replete with original features and spatial wizardry to maximise its floor plan. But don’t expect minimalist loft living, instead, the dwelling leans hard into its history via a soft grey and white colour palette with wood panelling and a Shaker-style kitchen. The soaring, vaulted ceiling is exposed, with a steel skeleton inserted beneath the eaves to create a mezzanine bedroom suite, complete with a freestanding bathtub in front of the gothic stained-glass windows. And of course, pews and built-ins from the church have been retained or repurposed to show its past. Photography: Mishon Welton
The Old Baptist Church, Tunbridge Wells. 3 bedrooms; £1.5m via Inigo. Sandblasted brickwork and towering sash windows are the focal points for this Tunbridge Wells chapel in the High Weald of Kent. The three-bedroom home dates from 1882 and served the local Baptist congregation for over a century before being converted for domestic use. The current owners have also inserted a mezzanine bedroom beneath the roof, with the living room and kitchen in the nave. Two more bedrooms are located off the hallway, along with amenities and access to the cellar below. Photography: Inigo
The Old Baptist Church, Tunbridge Wells. 3 bedrooms; £1.5m via Inigo. Sandblasted brickwork and towering sash windows are the focal points for this Tunbridge Wells chapel in the High Weald of Kent. The three-bedroom home dates from 1882 and served the local Baptist congregation for over a century before being converted for domestic use. The current owners have also inserted a mezzanine bedroom beneath the roof, with the living room and kitchen in the nave. Two more bedrooms are located off the hallway, along with amenities and access to the cellar below. Photography: Inigo
The Old Baptist Church, Tunbridge Wells. 3 bedrooms; £1.5m via Inigo. Sandblasted brickwork and towering sash windows are the focal points for this Tunbridge Wells chapel in the High Weald of Kent. The three-bedroom home dates from 1882 and served the local Baptist congregation for over a century before being converted for domestic use. The current owners have also inserted a mezzanine bedroom beneath the roof, with the living room and kitchen in the nave. Two more bedrooms are located off the hallway, along with amenities and access to the cellar below. Photography: Inigo
The Old Baptist Church, Tunbridge Wells. 3 bedrooms; £1.5m via Inigo. Sandblasted brickwork and towering sash windows are the focal points for this Tunbridge Wells chapel in the High Weald of Kent. The three-bedroom home dates from 1882 and served the local Baptist congregation for over a century before being converted for domestic use. The current owners have also inserted a mezzanine bedroom beneath the roof, with the living room and kitchen in the nave. Two more bedrooms are located off the hallway, along with amenities and access to the cellar below. Photography: Inigo
