Trying to sell a block of newly-built flats hasn't been easy in the last few years, so developers Cullen & Davis must have been counting themselves lucky when things began to get moving again at the end of 2019. With a converted church ready to come onto the market, they must have been punching the air with joy at their good timing.
But fate giveth and fate taketh away, and the lockdown that began in mid-March was a setback for their hopes of selling the 21 apartments fitted neatly into the Edwardian church of St Barnabas in Woodside Park, North London.
Fast forward a couple of months and things are back moving again: the St Barnabas flats are open for virtual viewings, and with some in-person viewings also currently permitted the market is coming to life.
Built with a few Gothic flourishes, St Barnabas Church — which was originally built in 1912 — has retained all manner of original features in the transformation process. Some apartments boast ceilings as high as 18ft, while others have stained glass windows and original stone arches.
There has been a complete redesign of the original 7,000 sq ft interior, keeping the original framework by architect J.S Alder intact, yet adding a further 19,000 sq ft. Columns have been preserved, and new windows built in the original style to blend in with the church's design.
The flats includes a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes with mezzanine levels and a variety of layouts including open plan living, dining and kitchen areas, spacious bedrooms and bright, marble-effect bathrooms.
The interiors are a mixture of high quality, modern finishes with elegant touches of the building’s past, from high ceilings, delicate architraves and stone beams to engineered oak flooring, recessed LED lighting and fully integrated, bespoke kitchens and appliances
The virtual tours put together by Cullen & Davis apparently include a salesman on-hand in cyberspace — we're not entirely sure if that's a good thing, but at least you know you can ask your questions straight away rather than have to take notes.
'Living in a quirky building such as a former church is appealing,' says Cullen & Davis's John Collins. 'We believe we have divided the space inside creatively to offer a selection of apartments with some expansive spaces and the feeling of grandeur inside. Well executed church conversions like this don’t come around every day and every apartment in the building is completely unique, so once they have gone, they’ve gone.'
Prices from £485,000 to £1m+ — see more details and pictures.
Credit: Platform Property
A wonderfully-bonkers Victorian bathhouse that brings all the fun of the fair — but best not to apply if you're scared of clowns...
Have you ever dreamt of running away to the circus, but were reluctant to leave the comfort of your own
Credit: Hunters / OnTheMarket.com
The beautiful church where one of 'Laurel and Hardy' was christened is up for auction at a guide price of £110,000
St Peters Church in Bishop Auckland will need an owner with courage and vision, but this building could become something
-
'The whole house shook. Everything was white. For four months, it felt as if we were on Mars': The story behind one of Hampshire's most breathtaking gardensWhen Kim Wilkie sculpted a tiered grass amphitheatre behind this 17th-century house, the garden finally settled into place, as Non Morris discovers.
-
'I have lost a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed': Inside Jane Austen's Winchester home, the house where she penned her final words and drew her final breathJane Austen spent the last days of her life in rented lodgings in Winchester, Hampshire. Adam Rattray describes the remarkable recent discoveries made about the house in which she died.
-
An utterly charming island home in Scotland with gardens so beautiful they made the cover of Country LifeAn Cala on the Isle of Seil has a fascinating history that is only enhanced by its amazing setting.
-
Soft tones and a sense of place: A Mayfair duplex that breaks the modern mouldA new designer-led residence at 60 Curzon in Mayfair reminds us that everything new doesn't necessarily have to look it.
-
'The very best North Yorkshire has to offer': The £25 million Kirkham EstateWith 1,103 acres and on the market for the first time in a century, we've got a new frontrunner for the sale of the year.
-
The reality of 20 years of house price rises in Britain, from the places that have had a charmed life to the spots where it's a struggle to move back homeAt first glance the ups and downs of the property market seem to even out over time — but dig in to the numbers and you'll see wild regional variations which paint a very difference picture. Annabel Dixon analyses new research which tells the story.
-
A historic Yorkshire hall, meticulously restored to its former 18th-century magnificenceWomersley Park is a masterpiece and one of Yorkshire's great historic houses. And it could be yours.
-
Rowing past dreams: An idyllic riverside home with a boathouse, croquet pitch and Olympic pedigreeThe Manor in Long Wittenham is a perfect Thames-side getaway. Comes with a free boat.
-
A bucolic Sussex home that's 'like stepping into a fairytale', yet just 30 minutes from central LondonFelmere House is a playground for nature and only 30 minutes from London.
-
Magnificent mansions across the Home Counties, from £3 million to £14 million, as seen in Country LifeA waterside dream home and a house and estate with over 1,100 years of history make our round-up this week.
