They're certainly not for everyone. Some people feel a little disconcerted by high ceilings, unusual windows and the quirkiness of any fixtures and fittings left over from the building's former life.
Others, however, will scratch their heads in wonder at the thought that not everybody would love the places precisely because of all the above. They'll gleefully convert baptismal fonts into bathroom sinks, build mezzanine floors to allow for bedrooms beneath the galleried ceilings and happily cut a letterbox into the four-inch thick oak doors.
This beautiful Cotswolds church — on sale for £495,000 via Savills — is a case in point:
The main living areas keeps an incredible sense of space, while an impressive master suite is tucked in to the space above and includes a dressing room and a very well appointed bathroom tucked into the beautiful old roof.
Outside, the building is incredibly pretty — as is the setting in the Cotswolds AONB near Stroud.
The Old Chapel is for sale at £495,000 via Savills — see more pictures and details.
Equally impressive is this church in Woodlesford, a West Yorkshire village close to the A1(M) and M62 near Leeds — it's for sale via Fine & Country at £800,00.
While the Cotswolds church makes for a fairly small house, this is a huge family home with over 5,000sq ft of space, including four bedrooms and a games room.
The way the living space has been designed to make the most is just wonderful — not least in the dining room:
Most eye-catching of all, however, is the way that wooden staircases have been incorporated into the original design of the church — they've been kept wonderfully in keeping, and make a real feature of the stained glass.
All Saints House is for sale through Fine & Country at £650,000 — see more details and pictures.
A similar approach has been used at this truly sensational home in Tiverton, Devon, which is on the market at £650,000 via Stags.
Visitors to the church would scarcely believe what lies beyond the Gothic arch doorway as they enter via the old churchyard:
The blend of old and new, traditional and modern is bold and glorious. A bright green range cooker sits beneath a modern extractor and dome lightshades while the light streams in through the huge stained glass windows to one side:
The bedrooms are build into the roof space, but cleverly boxed off to offer privacy and noise protection — something that can be a problem for some buyers, particularly those with children who need to get to sleep before the adults hit the sack. It's real lesson in making a lovely old building into a genuinely effective modern home.
Old Church, Cove, Tiverton is for sale at £650,00 via Stags — see more pictures and details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
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An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Credit: H Tiddy
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