When Lucy and Jim Todman first visited Wilcott Chapel, in the tiny Shropshire hamlet of Kinton, little did they know it would turn out to be the answer to their prayers.

For the overgrown graveyard of the 170-year-old building near Nesscliffe gave just a hint of the decay that lay behind the big church doors.

Dead bats, rotten floorboards and leaky windows greeted the couple as they stepped inside. Spiders’ webs adorned the glass, and mice had made their home in the redundant organ.

But to the 34-year-old former journalist, her carpenter husband and their two-year-old son, Jack, the building was home immediately.

“From the moment we turned the big key in the lock and stepped inside, we knew it was where we wanted to be,” says Lucy.

“Nothing put us off about the place. It had such a lovely feeling, despite the dirt and dust, and we knew it had to be ours.”

With views stretching across the Shropshire countryside and to the Welsh mountains, it’s easy to understand why.

The renovation, which began last summer, turned out to be a real labour of love.

For three long months, Jim – who runs his own business specialising in converting and renovating run-down buildings – worked 12-hour days to turn the former Methodist chapel into a family home.

Aided by a local architect, he made the most of the natural light which filters through the 12ft stained glass windows, and turned the building, which was last used for religious purposes around three years ago, into a comfortable four-bedroom, two-bathroom home.

But while many developers would have been tempted to rip out and renew, 33-year-old Jim saw the beauty of the building’s existing features.

While he undertook the construction work, it was Lucy’s job to ensure the inside of the building lived up to its potential.

She explains: “When we got the keys, the chapel still had all the pews, bibles, hymn books and even the pulpit in place. We had to clear these out and dig out the floor before any major renovation work could start.

“But we decided that these made up the history of the building. We didn’t want to just have a modern house within the shell of an old building. That wouldn’t have been right. So we re-used what we could.”

The pews were taken apart and the wood used to make the stairs and banisters, the pulpit – which was rotten through – was salvaged and became a bath panel, while the bibles and hymn books have their own special place in the living room.

Even the stops off the organ are being incorporated into a piece of artwork for one of the walls.

Patterns of the six original massive windows were made, and then new wooden copies installed, while up-to-the-minute insulation gave the draughty building a new lease of life and beautiful beams, complete with markings made by the original workmen from 1834, span the bedrooms and bathrooms.

A comfortable oak-fitted kitchen now houses an Aga, and is the true heart of the home – the place where everyone now congregates.

Even the old vestry at the rear of the building has been renovated, and is now the utility room, back hall and downstairs cloakroom.

The dramatic transformation was completed in just 16 weeks. Lucy says: “That was everything, from the bathroom tiling to the painting, carpets and kitchen. Not bad going really when you think that there was nothing here – no water, sewerage, plumbing, walls or stairs when we first arrived.

“Yet despite all the work, there is still that wonderful feeling that we first felt when we visited here before we even bought it.

“The chapel is very calming and stresses just seem to disappear when you walk through the door.”

The only part of the property which the Todmans still have to tackle is the garden – where there are 11 bodies buried.

Lucy explains: “We knew there were some bodies in the graveyard but it was only after a bit of research that we found out who they were and how they were related to each other.

“We were given the option of removing them, but they have more right than we do to be here, so they are welcome to stay. Some people find that odd, but I would be very unhappy to move them now.

“One of the ladies was a governess in London and has a very elaborate tomb with a wonderful inscription on the side, and the last burial as far as we know was in 1924. We will just incorporate the tombs into the overall garden design.”

Life in the village has more than lived up to expectations too, and for this couple there are no plans to move on. That doesn’t mean they’re not on the lookout for another renovation project, though.

“Maybe not a church this time,” says Lucy. But hopefully we will be able to work a miracle on another run-down place some time soon.”

* Jim Todman Carpentry, Joinery and Construction can be contacted on 07967 659176.

By Joanna Miles
 

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