Chapels, Churches, Open Spaces and How to Live in Them
A Non-Religious Take on Living in Spiritual Buildings
I’d love to live in a church or a chapel one day; this dream might just run in the family. Whilst not attached to any one religion, I remember my Dad always cherishing the idea. When I was little, with the help of my uncle, an architect, Dad designed our family home, loosely basing it on a narthex, a chancel and a nave1 (talk about eccentric!2). It’s a vision I’ve grown into, imagining living in an actual church or chapel as a beautiful existence. Think of the play of light cascading into the space, the walls soaked in deep, evocative smell of incense, the incredible heights and lightness of all the space above, the spectacular ceilings that are a characteristic of any place of worship, regardless of the spiritual or religious affiliation. The stained glass windows, stone floors... all design features I adore. It’s the most perfect space.
My idea of an idyllic holiday when I was 15 was to organise a road trip to see as many 11th-century churches in the south of France as possible. I loved their simplicity, solidity and strength. The light streaming in, the warm colour of the stone and the storytelling carved into tympanum3, set within a vast arched porch, mesmerised me. Reflecting now, another profound memory was staying at a 14th-century former Dominican monastery in Sicily around two decades ago. It is now, sadly, owned by a Canadian luxury hotel and resort company and has been completely stripped of its rustic charm and simple pleasures - a poignant loss of authenticity and meaning, gone for good when the restoration happened in 2021.
What saddens me is the number of churches and chapels left completely abandoned across the UK. Maintaining these buildings is expensive, and with dwindling attendance, local communities may struggle to fund their upkeep. How many enthusiasts of church and chapel architecture, like me, would seek out village churches for a moment of quiet4? Not many, hence the need for different solutions. Some are repurposed, which, at the very least, protects the buildings from neglect and falling into disrepair. A few transformations are more successful than others, and ultimately, they all share a connection to the idea of congregating - though, perhaps, they no longer facilitate the reflection and introspection for which they were originally designed. I’ve seen some turned into climbing centres, a clever use of the ceiling height, and while I’m all for climbing, the original beauty of the layout, floor plan and windows is often destroyed - see Undercover Rock in Bristol, for example. Neon-lit bars in former churches also emerge, such as Jalou on Micklegate in York, where my heart sank as I walked past. And then there are restaurants and bakeries.
When I lived in Somerset, I probably saw my favourite examples of repurposing unused chapels and both were connected to food. Which, I think, is an excellent idea. Chapels were designed for togetherness, congregations and breaking bread, and are more manageable than churches in terms of conversions. Rye Bakery in Frome and At the Chapel in Bruton, both in Somerset, kept the original architecture and stayed as close to the purpose of the building as possible whilst turning a spiritual space into a secular one.
THE CHAPEL
I also think chapels would make beautiful homes if done correctly, keeping the spiritual design features. Working around the light and letting it stream in through the original windows, keeping the space as open as possible and utilising the hight at the centre. This brings me to a property listing which could bring any fellow chapel enthusiasts closer to our dream of living in one.
I went to see this property and, unbelievably, you can walk from it to the train station in 5 minutes - a rare luxury in the countryside. The train takes you directly to London Bridge in just 1 hour 7 minutes, or to London Charing Cross, the very heart of London, in 1 hour 17 minutes. The village itself, Robertsbridge in Sussex, has a very beautiful high street, now much quieter since the new ring road (A21) takes most of the through traffic away.
This particular chapel has been on the market since last year and the previous sale has fallen through before. The planning permission, although previously granted, expired in November 2023. But that’s only a good thing! If permission to turn this chapel into a residential building was granted once, another is likely to be approved as well. This time, however, you could improve the layout and submit your own plans.
I think this chapel would do beautifully with upstairs bedrooms created on the galleries, echoing the original chapel design (see the Somerset examples above), with a downstairs open living space where light pours in from above in the middle.
To illustrate this solution in the simplest way, take a look at the RIBA House of the Year 2023 - the Green House in Tottenham, London, sustainably designed by Hayhurst & Co, which won the award last year. There is a lot to take in here, but for now, try to not get distracted by the facade and the bamboo. It’s the galleries that circle above the main living space and the light coming down into the centre of the building that could unlock the potential of the chapel project. Designing bedrooms around the galleries on the first floor and keeping the centre open to let the light in would suit the Robertsbridge chapel perfectly. The bedrooms would take some light away from the beautiful windows, so, following the design of the Green House, the light could come from the very top.
Additionally, removing the lean-to at the back to create a small garden would not only provide some desirable outside space but also add more value than the extra indoor space it currently offers. The main part of the building is all you need.
This chapel is most certainly a project and is a cash-only purchase as well. There are other beautiful properties on the market in Robertsbridge at the moment if you’re considering moving. The agents, Freeman Forman, tend to have a lot of characterful properties in the area. There is also this chapel in Rye with planning permission approved for a four-bedroom house - it already has a garden, and Rye is lovely. I think now is an exciting time to be looking for a country house. A lot of beauty all around. Just look for the best light you can get!
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A QUESTION
In other regions, where predominant spiritual buildings are temples, mosques or synagogues - do any of them stop being used as intended and fall into disrepair? What happens then? What do they become? Please share! Everyone can contact me by simply responding to this email in your inbox. I’ll read all your replies!
A narthex is an enclosed porch or vestibule at the western entrance of some churches, a chancel is the area around the altar at the east end, reserved for the clergy and choir, and a nave is the main body of the church where the congregation sits.
Dad’s ‘Happy Holidays’ message in December includes a picture of symbols representing four different religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
A tympanum is a decorative wall area above and around a church door, often featuring sculptures or carved reliefs.
Mind you, churches do not only satisfy the spiritual or aesthetic cravings; they can serve practical purposes as well. Their thick walls keep the temperature down, which is incredible during our increasingly frequent heatwaves in the summer. When temperatures hit 40°C, yes, this is where I was hiding.