Telford church converted into home up for sale for £500,000
A former church in Telford which had fallen into disrepair has been converted into a three-bedroom home.
St Paul's Church in Aqueduct Road, has undergone a complete redevelopment with modern decoration, fixtures and fittings, restoration of the building and landscaping of the garden.
The project has been completed by husband and wife team, Ian and Julie McMillan, who saw the property for sale and felt it was "crying out to be rescued".
The church, which was built in 1851, had become redundant by the mid-1980s.
For a while it was used by Scouts but the building began to deteriorate, its roof was collapsing and it sat deteriorating for 10 years.
Ian and Julie decided to buy the property and set about applying for planning permission to turn it into a home.
The planning process took more than a year to complete because the property was listed before becoming locally listed and permission was needed for a surrounding brick wall and iron railings.
The couple transformed the church fixing the roof and gutting the interior to take it back to the bare brick, filling 48 skips in the process.
They washed and repointed the exterior turning green moss-covered bricks into a red-brick facade.
“We love the exterior of the property," said Julie.
"Watching the transformation before our eyes was an incredible feeling.
"We also love the original stained glass windows, which we decided to keep.
"They are south facing so when the sun shines through them it’s beautiful. It’s just magical.”
Set over 2,000 sq ft the home features three bedrooms, a family bathroom, central heating, double glazing and two reception rooms.
Julie, who works in sales, has a love for interior design so while Ian, an engineer, concentrated on how to fix the structure and exterior of the building, Julie focused her attention on the decor.
“We chose lots of natural and light colours to enhance the oak beams and stained glass windows, making them the focal points of this beautiful building," she said.
"We also went for an open plan design, ideal for a family who enjoy socialising and entertaining.”
The property is for sale through Purple Bricks and offers in the region of £500,000 are invited.
