Yours for £50000: Grade II-listed church which can be turned into a home

Posted on by Listify Me

  • St Paul’s Church in Staverton, Wilts, closed after parishioner
    numbers fell
  • The 13th century building is now being sold by the Diocese of Salisbury
  • But the buyer will not own the graveyard which remains open to mourners

By
Suzannah Hills


PUBLISHED:

16:13 GMT, 8 May 2013


|

UPDATED:

01:02 GMT, 9 May 2013

With an 18ft-high ceiling, stained-glass windows, whitewashed internal walls and an estimated price of only £50,000, it looks like a property developer’s dream.

But being surrounded by gravestones could make selling it something of a problem.
St Paul’s church in Staverton, Wiltshire, is being sold by the Diocese of Salisbury, with bids invited from developers to convert the Grade II listed building into a private home.

Picturesque: Grade II-listed St Paul's Church in Staverton, Wiltshire, is being sold by the Diocese of Salisbury with a guide price price of just £50,000

Picturesque: Grade II-listed St Paul’s Church in Staverton, Wiltshire, is being sold by the Diocese of Salisbury with a guide price price of just £50,000

Small catch: But any buyer would not own the surrounding graveyard which would remain open to mourners and have burials for people who have reserved plots

Small catch: But any buyer would not own the surrounding graveyard which would remain open to mourners and have burials for people who have reserved plots

Future inhabitants will have to get
used to grieving relatives visiting burial sites – as well as actually
holding funerals in the grounds.

The 19th-century building closed its doors in March 2011 because of dwindling parishioner numbers and a dilapidated structure.

Whoever buys the building will not
own the graves – and will have to allow mourners to visit the headstones
and allow for the burial of people who have already reserved plots.

The church boasts stained glass windows, a nave and vestry, and is listed as being of Special Architectural and Historic Interest along with its iron churchyard gates.

Estate agent Colliers International is handling the sale and expects the building to go for around £50,000.

Unusual: The property boasts traditional iron gates, stained glass windows, a nave and vestry, and is listed as being of Special Architectural and Historic Interest

Unusual: The property boasts traditional iron gates, stained glass windows, a nave and vestry, and is listed as being of Special Architectural and Historic Interest

On the market: The church could be transformed into the ideal home but buyers have been slow in coming forward

On the market: The church could be transformed into the ideal home but buyers have been slow in coming forward

Spokesman Sam Williams said: ‘It
would not be their responsibility to maintain the churchyard itself, but
it would have to remain open for those attending the graves.

‘I
think there will still be a few more burials at the church. It is near
capacity, but there are still a few plots which have been reserved.

‘I don’t think people will really
mind the graveyard. Of course it is not to everyone’s taste, but it is
up to people’s own preference.

‘The sale would not come with the church yard, but they would get a 1.5 metre strip around the building.

‘I think it would make a good community use for the village, but also it would make an ideal house, but a sensitive house which would not involve too much alteration to the interior.

‘The new owners will have to abide by the covenants – just generally promising to maintain the building and keeping it in good repair.’

However, potential buyers have been slow in coming forward because of the unusual nature of the building.

Future funerals: The graveyard is near capacity but there are still a few empty plots that have been reserved

Future funerals: The graveyard is near capacity but there are still a few empty plots that have been reserved

Development: The buyer of St Paul's Church would get a 1.5 metre strip of land around the building but the headstones will remain where they are

Development: The buyer of St Paul’s Church would get a 1.5 metre strip of land around the building but the headstones will remain where they are

‘We have had interest, a little bit, but unfortunately so far people haven’t been able to follow it through,’ said Mr Williams.

‘It is quite a big challenge. It’s quite a long process buying it, and it is quite difficult to find the right buyer who has the patience.’

Rev Stephen Ball, the priest in charge of the church, said: ‘Until we get all the proposals in we won’t have any idea of its use.

‘All I want to see is the people who care about the church be happy about what happens next, and a use for it that will conserve the building and recognise it has been a special place for a lot of people.’

Challenging: Any new owners would have to abide by the covenants and strict rules surrounding any development of Grade listed buildings

Challenging: Any new owners would have to abide by the covenants and strict rules surrounding any development of Grade listed buildings

Local history: Another one of the graves in the graveyard of St Paul's Church in Staverton, Wiltshire

Local history: Another one of the graves in the graveyard of St Paul’s Church in Staverton, Wiltshire

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ooooh! As long as the ghosts are friendly, then why not? 🙂

Susan
,

Canada eh, Canada,
10/5/2013 22:33

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ooooh! As long as the ghosts are friendly, then why not? 🙂

Susan
,

Canada eh, Canada,
10/5/2013 22:33

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Stop selling churches and lease them. This building is worth much more than the asking price and has huge historical and architectural significance.

pyrite
,

York, United Kingdom,
09/5/2013 13:25

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I would love to live there, and no- I am not a goth (not that I think there’s anything wrong with that) and my partner is a horticulturist so there’d be no problems about up keep and I’d like to be very involved in the local community.

Penelope
,

Australia,
09/5/2013 13:06

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Hope there aren’t any noisey neighbours.

rodger the dodger
,

London,
09/5/2013 13:04

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The grave yard would not bother me in the slightest and I would love to buy this and turn it in to a fabulous home BUT the restrictions imposed by English Heritage under the Listing would make that a far too painful and expensive process.

Greedynut
,

Swindon,
09/5/2013 12:28

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i think The Undertaker will buy it. it looks haunted anyway

JenUK
,

Sussex, United Kingdom,
09/5/2013 12:00

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So many little chapels have been closed here in Wiltshire and turned into homes.

wiltsx
,

WIltshire, United Kingdom,
09/5/2013 11:20

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Holiday home for Goths?

Samuel Pickwick
,

Anywhere BUT London, United Kingdom,
09/5/2013 10:25

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People sentenced to “unpaid work” should be maintaining these old graveyards. Instead of sending the young offender to a country club, make them work doing clean-up. They don’t work, they don’t get released.

Patrick
,

Belfast,
09/5/2013 09:53

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