The ultimate lofty conversion
How Gothic church tower was turned into high-end home with amazing views
THE South London district of Gipsy Hill is already 300ft above sea level, so stand another 100ft higher – at the top of a tower on the appropriately named Highland Road – and you will get an extraordinary view of the capital.
World-famous landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Palace of Westminster, the London Eye, the Shard and Canary Wharf are all visible from the tower of a church that has been converted for residential use, and which is on the market for £1,595,000.
It was built in 1861 in the English Gothic style as the bell tower for Christ Church in Gipsy Hill. The architect, John Giles, also designed London’s grand Langham Hotel.
Although the exterior looks appropriately ancient, with its granite and Bath stone, the 3ftthick interior walls are made from Victorian brick.
‘I think Giles had a sense of mischief,’ says owner Michael Rubino. ‘In fact, he built the tower not in the accepted style for churches but like a castle tower. Both have spiral staircases, but castle stairs go clockwise. That was in case a marauder was sneaking upstairs – you could stand at the top and swing at him with your sword in your right hand.’
However, making your way up the four storeys of the tower – with or without a lethal weapon – can also now be achieved by way of a lift. The lift has the capacity for eight people, plus a wheelchair.
The original church to which the tower was attached burnt down in 1984. The diocese deconsecrated the land and later sold the tower.
Michael’s involvement began as designer to the then owner in 1998, and he subsequently bought the property himself 15 years ago. ‘By then I’d transformed the building. It needed everything doing – water and plumbing, gas and electrics. I reinstated the glass and all the lead work, employed classically trained stonemasons, and sourced as much as I could from the period, with doors and windows salvaged from all over the country. I even succeeded in restoring the lock on the great oak doors at the entrance – the key itself is nearly a foot long.’
The turret clock, which has pride of place upstairs, is not just unusual in being four-sided, but also embodies childhood lore.
‘The nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock derives from the fact that the pendulums of church clocks were always made of hickory, since it is one of the rare woods that neither contracts nor expands with temperature changes, so they keep perfect time,’ explains Michael. ‘This example was built in 1887, so I feel that John Giles would certainly have approved.’
The quarry-tiled hall with a recessed arched window and arched doors leads to the kitchen and breakfast room. On the first floor there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with the master bedroom and en suite bathroom on the floor above.
The third-floor reception room enjoys wonderful views but they are nothing compared to those from the belfry, with its 40ft-high ceilings and roof terrace.
There is parking for two cars, and the tower is only a few min- utes’ walk to Gipsy Hill station, which connects to London Bridge and Victoria.
The technology required to bring the tower into the 21st Century is housed in the plant room on the lower ground floor – its cabling means that this Victorian building has a surprisingly efficient energy rating. ‘It may look as if it’s 500 years old but in reality this is a 20-year old building,’ Michael says.
Over the past few years, Michael has rented the tower to artists and musicians. A grand piano still stands in the recessed dais above the hall and violinists have given concerts from the belfry.
SUCH is the romantic aura the tower creates that Michael has frequently been asked, even by total strangers, if he would allow them to use the belfry – clearly some see it as the ideal place to go down on one knee and propose marriage.
‘The actress Margaret Lockwood was married here when the church was still standing,’ Michael reveals. ‘Her family asked to see the building and wrote to thank me recently.’
Despite occupying 3,500sq ft of living space, it is surprising to learn that the tower’s official address is 1B Highland Road. ‘It’s as if it’s a small flat,’ laughs Michael. uniquepropertycompany.co.uk