Couple convert crumbling church into £1m home after buying it for just £85k

A couple have converted a crumbling former parish church into a home worth £1m after buying it at auction for £85,000.

St Paul's church had fallen into near-ruin when Sean and Debs Kenny-Talls took on the property in 2017 just before they married with the aim of creating their "forever home".

The Grade II-listed property was built in 1846 and closed in 1999 because of dry rot.

Despite the good intentions of two successive private owners, the church in in Denholme, West Yorkshire, remained untouched until the pair began their three-and-a half year project.

They carried out much of the work themselves, even living in a caravan in the church grounds during the work. Only the plastering was left to a professional, while a builder friend helped with some masonry and roofing work.

The former St Paul’s Church south aisle, where the roof has been removed to create a courtyard (Lorne Campbell / Guzelian)

The church was a complete mess before the couple got their hands on it (Sean Kennedy-Tallis/Guzelian)

Sean, an electrical engineer, said: "It was a beautiful building but in such a sad state.

"We were told the roof was so far gone that we would have lost the building with another bad winter, so we got it just in time".

The conversion features four bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen diner and lounge both leading to a courtyard created from the church's south aisle and a guest annexe below the bell tower where the couple have plans for a B&B.

Looking out to the south aisle, now an open courtyard, from the lounge (Lorne Campbell / Guzelian)

Some of the original features have been retained (Lorne Campbell / Guzelian)

Modern walls, partitions and new floor levels have been created in the shell of the church while the original features have been retained, including the gothic windows, chancel and gallery.

The property's kitchen and dining area leads on to the former chancel.

Features of the original church have become stunning features in the couple's 'forever home'.

The church previously had two owners, but neither was in its original state until the pair started work on the project.

The kitchen dining area leading to the former chancel (Lorne Campbell / Guzelian)

The formerly dilapidated church is now looking completely different (Lorne Campbell / Guzelian)

They now want it to be part of the community again and are happy for people in the civil parish town to visit and pay respects to loved ones buried within its grounds.

The graveyard, which had become overgrown and inaccessible after the church's closure, was restored as part the project, with parishioners now able to return to pay respects to loved-ones.

Sean said: "We want it not just to be our home, but part of the community again. We're happy for people to come here".

The property has been valued between £950,000 and £1m after an initial £85,000 outlay when it was originally bought at auction.