The listing describes it as “undoubtedly one of a kind”, and one look at the vibrant red living room beneath towering stained glass windows proves the point. This converted 18th-century church, complete with graveyard and stone tower, is now up for sale.
The Church of St Peter was built by the 4th Earl of Harborough and forms part of the renowned Stapleford Estate. According to the property listing, the three-bedroom detached property retains original features, including four stained glass windows and a stone atrium with a font that had been used by parishioners for centuries.
The listing describes the property as retaining “all the wonderful sacral architecture and historic period charm one would want from a church conversion”. A concert grand piano is located where the altar would have once stood, estate agents say.
The conversion includes distinct areas for living, dining and entertaining, with the original pulpit still standing. The property features two mirrors from the Savoy Hotel in London, a log burner and a kitchen with a breakfast bar, according to the listing.
The property sits in grounds of approximately an acre, with the churchyard containing gravestones scattered amongst wildflowers. A Shepherd’s Hut has been installed in the south-west corner of the plot as an alternative guest accommodation.
The listing notes the property has underfloor heating throughout the ground floor, with a new oil-fired boiler installed in 2020 and an air-source heat pump system. Saxby is described in the listing as a village in the rolling hills of Leicestershire, five miles east of Melton.
Melton train station is around a 10-minute drive away, connecting to Leicester and Birmingham to the west and Peterborough and Cambridge to the east. The property is listed by Unique Property Company London with a guide price of £695,000.
See more pictures of the property below.