Methodists and chapels: Cumbria and South Uist

 

I was in Driffield on Saturday, admiring the work hubby's firm has done adding big screens and stuff to a Methodist chapel. It was a sort-of Open Day to showcase plans for the next stage of the build. I went for the cakes (because no-one bakes like the ladies of the church!).
I've featured several former Methodist chapels on this site in the past, and here's another. I'm not sure what it is about the Methodists but they built lovely buildings. None of that fancy Gothic/dreamy spires stuff of the Anglicans, just solid, straightforward spaces designed to feel like a home.
Take this former reading room, at Halton-Lea-Gate about seven miles from Brampton, in Cumbria. It's basically two rooms - a large hall, a kitchen, plus an entrance porch and a loo. But isn't this a lovely space?

Around 90 sq m in total, and surrounded by a decent patch of gardens.

On the market at a reasonable £80k (because you need to sort planning/change of use) via Savills. More here and here.
On the other hand, the chapel below does have planning permission in place, consequently the price is rather higher at almost £150k.

But it's also in a more rural location (about a mile-and-a-half outside Appleby-in-Westmorland) and is a prettier building (gorgeous window!).
It's basically the chapel and the porch.
The chapel is pretty much the same size as the reading room's hall, to give you an idea of the space, but beyond that I can't tell you anything because the estate agent has done a RUBBISH job of promoting it (apologies for lapse into shouty caps). No internal pictures, scant details (doesn't even say what land you get) and the photos themselves are dreadful.

See what I mean?
However, as I said, nice building and a good location.
On the market at offers around £149,950 through Cumberland Estate Agents. Link here and here.
If neither of those are quite rural enough for you, the Church of Scotland is selling this gorgeous little chapel on the island of South Uist, in Scotland's Outer Hebrides:

Iochdar Mission church is category-C listed, has limited services (only electricity) and, as with the property above, is basically a main hall and a porch.
The PDF details show the inside, but there aren't any room sizes and I'm assuming the land you get is basically what's inside that stone wall.Missions
On the market at offers over £50k, details here.

Two large country houses with land

Two big handsome Welsh houses today, the first sent to me by a reader.
The eight bedroom country pile above and below, near Llandovery, was sent to me by seller Angela. Nantymwyn House is lovely, and in a stunning position in the Towy Valley.
The agent's details are sparse (to say the least!) and you'll want to talk to them before seeing it, not least to clarify how much land the property comes with.

It's a major renovation job and it's not clear from the pictures I've been sent what work has been done on the property since it last sold, although those earlier agent pictures may give an idea of the work involved.
The property comes with stabling, outbuildings, and menage, and possibly 11 acres (I'm going from the earlier sale details here - as I said, rubbish info from the current agent, which simply says "with land"). There are large gardens and paddock areas with stunning views.

The House is in lovely position on the edge of the village of Rhandirmwyn, about seven miles from Llandovery. It's on the market through Russell Baldwin & Bright with a guide price of £285k. Details here.
Not quite so large, but equally handsome is Sunnybank, below, at Thornton, about four miles from Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire.

Four-bedroom, Grade II-listed Sunnybank also suffers from the limitations of the selling agent - there are no internal pictures.
What we are told however is that it comes with six acres of gardens and pasture land, and a range of farm buildings, including a large attached stone barn.

I'd suggest asking them what they mean by "in need of repair and refurbishment" before you visit Sunnybank.
On the market through Owen and Owen at offers around £350k. Details here and here, and PDF here.

Clifftop homes - Devon and Dorset

I'm doing clifftop today. You all know me and my thing about water, and the sea in particular, but if what you're looking for is to open the curtains every morning and see the sea, then we share brain cells.
Both of these properties are pricey - blame the view for that - and more in need of updating than a full renovation job. Having said that, clifftop properties come with their own challenges - like possibly no insurance and the cliff edge receding.
This first property, Midhills, in Devon. Overlooks Lynmouth Harbour and the Bristol Channel and does look rather close to the cliff edge. It's also got a look of holiday home, even holiday let, about it which presumably explains the slightly odd design decisions.
Like the fabric green 'terrace', pictured top, and this hot tub room decor:

The terrace actually sits on top of the spa room, plus a games room. The main house, the older part, has two reception rooms and a kitchen downstairs plus two good-size bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. Attached to it is a self-contained studio apartment. Plenty of scope for reconfiguring rooms.

Outside are large gardens of around three-quarters of an acre, with meandering pathways through woodland, plus the terrace, and outbuildings.

Access is complicated: there's only on-street parking and a path to the house - an issue for renovators bringing in trucks and building supplies, and you'll need to discuss this with the seller.
Midhills is on the market at £395k, via GTH. More details and pix here and here.
Midhills was sent to me by reader Melissa, this next one came via regular house-hunter DjC.
I know I don't generally 'do' terraced houses but, this one is absolutely stunning. Just look at the location:

Number 3 White Nothe Cottages is one of several former coastguard houses at Holworth, above the fishing village of Ringstead, on the Dorset cliffs.

It's unmodernised, no mains services, and access is via an unmade farmtrack.
The cottage is small - two rooms and a larder downstairs; two bedrooms and a washroom (not bathroom) upstairs. But so, so cute!

There's a walled garden around all the cottages (I love this picture - like an oasis, or something from the Game of Thrones map):

And No. 3 also  has its own private garden with parking area, lawn, courtyard and these potentially useful outbuildings.

On the pricey side for a two-bed terraced cottage with a guide price of £250k but, as with Midhills, it's the location that makes it.
On the market through Jackson-Stops & Staff. Details here and here.