Wow-Factor Victorian Church Conversion in Gloucestershire

Sensitive Work

Geoff took on project management duties, with James on retainer, while NJN Design and Build arranged all the scheduling and hired the additional contractors. Work began with the arrival of a specialist timber renovation company in mid-2020. The interior woodwork had been stained a dark, mahogany colour, so a micro blasting process was used to uncover the beautiful pine beneath.

Light and spacious, the kitchen subtly breaks up the open-plan nave, creating zones for cooking, dining and relaxing, with the ground floor bedroom located in the former school room at the back

Then, scaffolding was erected for the roof repairs. “We thought it was in good condition, but once we looked closely, we found a big problem,” says Geoff. The roof had been constructed in an unusual way. Instead of being built up in separate layers, a shortcut had been taken. “We found both the battens for the tiles and lathes for the plaster were fixed to the top of the rafters. This meant that we couldn’t replace the battens without damaging the ceiling.”

The Bolams were forced to strip back the roof and start from scratch. Luckily, most of the rafters were in good condition, with repairs only needed on the north side of the building. “In order to meet Building Regulations, the roof tiles needed to overlap significantly, which meant we needed to source more tiles of the same size, shape and colour,” says Geoff. “It took us a week of calling reclaim yards to find a supplier.”

Since the historic tiles didn’t have nail holes, the builders came up with a clever solution – cutting slots in their sides, where nails could sit. Finally, an industrial glue was used to keep them in position. However, rebuilding the roof did have one benefit. “We were able to add an extra layer of insulation,” says Geoff. “We did this by creating a false ceiling inside, lowering the height of it and affixing replicas of the original rafters.”

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The second major issue was the floor – at some point, the original timber had been replaced with solid concrete, with a dampproof membrane underneath. “This was forcing moisture in the subsoil into the walls, causing rising damp. The entire floor had to be removed,” Geoff says. “As problems arose, we realised the extent of the work ahead. At one point we had the entire floor and roof off and all that was left standing was the walls.”

A land drain was installed outside to divert water away from the foundations and the ground levels around the church were also lowered, to help with ingress. The couple chose limecrete for their new floor since it’s breathable and is effective at managing ground moisture. “The system we chose has a subbase of foamed glass insulating gravel, which increases insulation and is ideal for use with underfloor heating.”

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The church’s original shapes and features have been reinstated to help ensure its origins can be felt throughout

Thanks to the church’s significant damp issues, the internal walls were in a sorry state. “The plaster on the bottom half had been removed and repointed with sand and cement mortar. This was stopping the stones from being able to breathe, so much of the remaining plaster was crumbling away,” explains Geoff. “We were forced to address the problem, so we borrowed some tools from the builders and spent about two weeks removing the interior pointing.”

Notoriously cold and draughty, Victorian churches lack insulation, but Building Regulations mean that even restored heritage properties must try to meet target U-values. The Bolams were unsure how to proceed, since adding insulation would mean losing inside space.

However, after speaking with their neighbour, who was renovating a cottage down the road, they discovered an innovative product that offered the perfect solution. Daisen’s Diathonite Evolution is a breathable, lime and cork-based insulating plaster. “We’d never heard of it, but thanks to the right mix of natural materials, the product achieves good thermal insulation,” says Geoff.

With its soaring beamed ceiling, leaded windows and restored brick fireplace, the ground floor bedroom is a beautiful space that blends modern and traditional elements

The eco-friendly render is an easy thermal bridge solution and is both hard-wearing and fire resistant. It also allows the stonework to breathe, while the cavities in the plaster absorb and dispose of moisture and condensation. “It was sprayed onto the walls and in some places is about 50mm thick. A topcoat was then added, to provide a handcrafted finish,” says Geoff. “We weren’t sure how it would look, but it’s fantastic.” By applying Diathonite, the Bolams increased the thermal performance of the walls by two-thirds.

Geoff carried out a lot of the work himself, such as restoring the stone window mullions and repairing the historic clockface. “Being on site every day allowed me to make decisions and be part of what was going on, which mitigated issues,” he says. “I’ve always been quite practical with DIY, and I wasn’t averse to learning new skills.”

Divine Space

After 14 months, the renovation was complete. To celebrate, Geoff and Julie invited locals, friends and family to an open day. Very much still a focal feature of the village, the Old Mission Church looks untouched from the outside, aside from being cleaned and repointed to fix the crumbling mortar. A beautiful, landscaped garden sits outside, complete with upcycled pews from the church.

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Pops of colour bring a modern feel to the newly-converted church

Inside, history and modernity meet. The front door opens into a bright lobby, which flows through to the open-plan nave, leading to a spacious kitchen and lounge. A dining zone sits inside the chancel, which features sensitively restored stained-glass windows that date back to 1870. Behind a set of original sliding doors, lies the ground-floor bedroom.

A once unsightly fireplace has been restored, while panels from the pulpit have been turned into a headboard. A glass and steel staircase winds up to the bedroom pod, while rooflights and a glass gable, allow light in. The once cold and draughty interior is now warm and cosy, thanks to made-to-measure secondary glazing, underfloor heating and radiators, powered by a gas boiler.

modern features such as the freestanding bath tub make a unique contrast against the original church windows

With all the setbacks, Geoff and Julie found the process both rewarding and challenging. “We were encouraged by the fact we knew it would be fantastic when it was finished,” says Geoff, who discovered a new love of project management and found it to bethe most rewarding part. “Being on-site and working with the team was fantastic,” he says. In fact, Geoff puts the success of the project down to hiring the right people.

“Having builders with a tried and tested team really helped,” he says. As for taking on another project, the couple hasn’t ruled it out. “When it was done, I suddenly had lots of time on my hands, so we did entertain the idea of doing something else. If a project lands in our laps, we might consider it.”