Church End, Felmersham, Bedfordshire, MK43

C15TH BARN CONVERSION OVERLOOKING CHURCH IN HISTORIC RIVERSIDE VILLAGE

Undeniably quirky, unquestionably historic, undoubtedly enjoying a quintessential village setting, the Grade II-listed, West Tithe Barn, in Felmersham’s conservation area, is an old clay-tiled, stone, three-bedroom conversion, with one of the bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs. In an elevated position, a hundred yards from community gardens alongside the river, it stands, as befits its former status, alongside the magnificent, C13th, Early English, Church of St Mary, which Nikolaus Pevsner described as “the noblest parish church in the country”. And it has several exciting possibilities that could enormously increase its value.

The huge barn was built in 1428 to store crop tithes for the benefit of the church and Trinity College, Cambridge, which had been granted rectoral rights by Edward III. The barn was saved in the early 1980s when it was turned into two houses and two apartments. It is the apartments that have since become West Tithe Barn, which has still retained a certain apartment feel, with no garden as such to worry about, just a lovely, balcony-sized outside space, as well as a garage and driveway parking. You can reach the garage either from your back door via a quiet, little path which runs between new houses and the barn, or from your front door onto the no-through lane.

It is this lane, lined with beautiful old houses, which you can wander along with children to the super little primary school and the play park, or with your dog to the nature reserve, to lakes, and to the wonderful, surrounding countryside. Pop down to the beautiful River Great Ouse for a leisurely swim, or up to the pretty, little thatched local, The Sun, for an even more leisurely drink. The larger village of Sharnbrook, with its shops, Co-op, Academy School & 6th Form, Paula Radcliffe Community Sports Centre, surgery and Mill Theatre, is a brisk stroll or cycle ride away on the other side of the river.

Felmersham is less than 7 miles from the County town of Bedford, its world-renowned schools and its fast trains to London. It’s a rural idyll that’s within easy reach of every facility. Coming home to West Tithe Barn feels like a holiday.

ABOUT THE PROPERTY

It says a lot that you can let yourself into the church, which remains unlocked during the day. Breathtakingly beautiful and amazingly large for such a small parish, it has a rare central tower, an original rood screen which somehow survived the reformation and a lovely, peaceful, churchyard opposite West Tithe Barn.

In your mind’s eye, you can see the barn being constructed 600 years ago, scaffolding putlogs lodged in the holes that are still there in the stone walls. And the local farmers drawing up with carts piled high with 10% of their crops as tithes to the church.

Inside, it is very different to how it was then, yet gorgeous, heavy oak wall and ceiling timbers remain, especially upstairs, and the stone chimney passes through the middle of the sitting room, just tempting you to open it up for a cosy wood burner.

Natural light pours in through large windows, with deep, low sills made for sitting on and enjoying super views over the church, the former schoolhouse and other lovely old buildings, as well as wonderful, mature, bird-filled trees.

Exposed stone walls add to the character of your new home, and the lovely, oak doors and floors are perfectly in keeping with the beautiful beams. While the kitchen is small, the painted oak furniture, with its display units and fly-over shelf downlighting dancing off the colorful tiling, holds a certain charm, yet you must be tempted to open it up towards the garden door; even without the cloakroom, you’d still have a downstairs bathroom – and a lovely one it is too, with its claw-footed, freestanding bath perfect for wallowing in at the end of a long day.

And, perhaps, as the balmy summer evenings unfold, throw open the new French doors from the dining room to your little terrace and enjoy a glass of wine outside, taking in the sweet scent of lavender and the glorious colour of the quince that flowers through spring to autumn.

Particularly versatile due to its past, West Tithe Barn can alter to suit your lifestyle. Meanwhile, poke your head into the huge loft space, with its long narrow window, and think of the exciting potential.