Buying Christ Church
We purchased Christ Church from The Church of Wales in 2003, by which time it was in a poor state of repair due to it standing empty after it closed in 1998.
Our first task was to build our temporary living accommodation, which we affectionately refer to as ‘The Hut’. Inside the hut we can keep warm and is a safe environment to be away from the ‘building site’.
The first year here was spent getting to know and understand the building. We needed to get to grips with issues such as which parts of the building were deteriorating rapidly; where the light fell best during the day; how the Victorians built it; what are the best materials to use.
We were successfully granted planning permission and listed building consent for the house conversion. This will be at the back end of the church. Our aim is for the house to have a minimal effect on the character and atmosphere of this special building. The house will be a two story structure, using all the existing features of the building and eventually incorporating the tower.
We are doing all the work ourselves, as well as tackling all the repairs to the structure of the church therefore it is a slow and organic process!
