A couple have transformed a £85k rotting 19th century church into £1.5M luxury home.

Sean, 61, and Debs Kennedy-Tallis, 54, bought the run down St Paul's Church in 2017 for a knock-down price at auction.

The couple got to work straight away spending £420,000 converting the damaged and roof-less 161-year-old building into into a four-bed family home.

They have now listed it for sale for £1.5 million.

The couple finished fully renovating the property in 2024 but have lived inside since 2022 after completing the major works on the house.

Sean said: "We are sad to see it go - we thought it would be our forever home."

"It is such a peaceful building which puts you at ease when you step inside."

"We thought it would creek at night but it isn't one of those buildings - we loved living here."

The Grade II-listed church on Halifax Road, in Denholme, Yorks, was built in 1846 and closed in 1999 due to dry rot.

It remained untouched until Sean and Debs took it on.

The couple added four bedrooms which are woven throughout the property which still has its historic features intact.

The old 'Chancel' now forms a cosy lounge area with a modern log burner stove and the bell tower has been converted into a quiet study room.

The church also features its graveyard, housing 3000 burials, which has been "tidied up" as part of the project."

Sean said: "They are the best neighbors we have ever had - we have had no noise companies yet."

The couple's project was even featured on BBC One's Homes Under the Hammer and Channel 4's Great British Home Restoration.

Speaking about the renovation, Sean said: "It was in a really sad state of disrepair - the first thing we had to do was put a roof on as there was a lot of it missing. "

"The church was only built from timber and stone which were really damaged."

"We had to replace the timber fittings with steel and any remaining wood we treated with antifungal so rot wouldn't return."



"But the conversation was completed in two stages and it went very smoothly as much as we had lots of challenges working on an old building."

"It was an adventure and was never a chore - we never had a day where we thought why have we taken it on." "

The couple mostly completed the renovation themselves with only 12 people being on sight throughout the whole process.

Sean said: "We did the plumbing, flooring, and electric - we also fitted all of the windows and installed the steel beams too."

"The only thing we didn't get our hands dirty with was the plastering as it was a bit too tricky for us."

During the first years of the conversion the couple lived in a caravan on the church grounds for "security reasons" as well as the journey back to their home being over 35 miles each way. "

In 2023 the couple even welcomed their first bed and breakfast guests to the property.

Sean said: "We had space in the house as it was only us two pottering around - the space lends itself nicely to the idea."

"It was popular with people holding wedding parties who would enjoy the house and the surrounding area."

The couple decided to move out from the house they thought would be their "forever home" as they wanted somewhere more "easy going"."

During the time the couple lived inside the church both Sean and Debs lost their parents and friends move away from the area meaning less people came over to visit.

"The house came to life when we had large gatherings over or people came to visit but it has since lost it's touch."

The couple both agreed on a change of "scenery" in Ireland where Sean was born. "

He said: "I lived there as a child and used to visit regularly growing up with my dad and it holds a lot of happy memories."

"I hadn't been in over 35 years so I took Debs recently and we fell in love - it just had everything we need."

The couple have also said their five children Jodie, 43, Christopher, 38, Jamie, 35, Adam, 33, and Eleanor, 21, aren't "interested" in taking on the property either. "

Sean said: It's time for some new owners to bring some life back into the building as our imagination has come to an end.

"It has been hard to let go of as we have given blood sweat and tears to the property and we feel it has become part of us. "

"We hope the next owners can lift it even higher, maybe even get the B&B going full-time, who knows. "

"I hope it keeps safe for another few hundred years."