Warksburn Old Church

Warksburn Old Church is the world’s first conversion of a former church building into a Net Zero holiday home which complies with the ultra-demanding Passivhaus standard for energy efficiency.

The conversion during 2023-24 transformed this redundant Presbyterian church, built in 1875, into a luxury three bedroom holiday rental property sleeping up to six guests.

This distinctive holiday home is located at Wark in the North Tyne Valley, close to Hadrian’s Wall, Hexham, Northumberland National Park, and Kielder Water with its surrounding forest, home to the International Dark Sky Park.

Want to see more of the property? Take a look at our 3D walkthrough.

A comprehensive £1 million renovation programme restored and retained historic features, (such as the stained-glass windows and soaring timber roof trusses) transformed the former church into one of the most energy efficient buildings in the UK. In fact, Warksburn Old Church is now so efficient that it generates more energy than it consumes.

The church was originally funded in 1875 by the eminent Victorian engineer, Sir George Barclay Bruce, who in 1887 made the world’s first ever recorded reference to renewable generation and storage of electricity.  Bringing history full circle, Sir George's vision of renewable energy has been realised, at the very building he created.

Local architects Insight Architectural Design partnered with Passivhaus experts Ecospheric and David Reed of DJR Builders to design and deliver a historically sensitive conversion of the 1875 building, sympathetically combining restored heritage features, indulgent luxurious interior design, Passivhaus construction, and cutting-edge smart energy systems.

The result is a truly spectacular place to stay and recharge your batteries, whilst the building recharges its own batteries from the renewable energy generated on site.

Warksburn Old Church features a stunning open-plan living space with 10 metre high ceilings from the ground floor to the full height of the church roof. Three zones flow seamlessly together: a craftsman-fitted kitchen; a dining area with a bespoke table seating eight; and a relaxed lounge area with state of the art infotainment. The interior design of this imposing space resonates with the lustrous colours of the restored original windows, by the renowned Victorian stained glass master Charles Eamer Kempe.

Continuing the theme of luxury and exceptional interior design, the three bedrooms all feature super king sized beds and porcelain tiled en-suite bathrooms, designed holistically with the adjoining bedroom. Follow these links to take a look at Bedroom 1, Bedroom 2 and Bedroom 3.

An oak and glass staircase leads to the generous first floor gallery and study space. Here guests will find a quiet area for reading or work, surrounded by a curated selection of visual artworks and ceramics from North East artists.

Works of art, ceramics and glass are integral to the interior design aesthetic throughout the building. Contemporary pieces and bespoke furniture offer a subtle counterpoint to antique family heirlooms positioned around the property.

Externally, the property offers guests:

• A private garden with feature planting surrounding a lawn and patio with extensive views to open Northumberland countryside.

• Private off-street parking, with two EV charge points.

• A secure outbuilding for storage, e.g. guests’ bikes and other equipment.

Internally, guests enjoy:

• 55 inch ultra high definition TV with all the main channels via FreeSat.

• Ultrafast full fibre gigabit broadband for seamless streaming, with most of the major platforms built into the TV.

• Mesh WiFi for instantaneous mirroring of video, photos or music from guests’ own devices to the UHD screen and Dolby Atmos soundbar.

The utility room with washing machine, tumble drier and drying rack is particularly appreciated by guests using Wark as the perfect base for exploring the North Tyne, Hadrian’s Wall, Kielder, wider Northumberland from the Pennines to the Coast, and over the border into Scotland.

The hosts have written a free guidebook packed with ‘insider insights’ into this exceptional part of the world.  Although primarily about local cycling routes, there is plenty about the landscape and history of this exquisitely beautiful part of Northumberland for the non-cyclist to enjoy as well.

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