A heavenly conversion
Former church is now a home where one can seek sanctuary
WHEN you encounter a house as heavenly as this, it’s easy to get enthusiastic about the ecclesiastic. For more than 100 years, 118 Trinity Road in Edinburgh provided a peaceful haven for generations of church-goers. Even now, decades after the property was converted to a grand domestic residence, it is not unusual for the odd soul to seek sanctuary within its walls.
Strangers to this part of Edinburgh have been known to sit on the steps of this family home, thinking it is still a church. Some have even walked straight through the front door, believing they might be in time for a service.
Despite the obvious wealth of its surroundings, Christ Church Trinity spent much of its existence fighting off debt. As far back as 1875, it was dependent upon donations from aristocracy and the gentry and a gift of £5 was received that year from William Gladstone, the four-time British Prime Minister.
However, by the late 20th Century, the tidal wave of economics could not be resisted. The building was cleverly converted to a home in the 1980s and extensively upgraded by its present owners over almost two decades.
By their very nature, church buildings do not easily lend themselves to conversion. The need to create accommodation on a higher level often means huge stained glass windows are split in two, with the upstairs portion beginning awkwardly at ground level.
Then there are the sheer dimensions of the traditional area of worship, designed to accommodate hundreds of people.
But at 118 Trinity Road, a great deal of thought has produced a building clearly at ease with its new situation in the 21st Century.
The dramatic downstairs sitting room contains a modern spiral staircase that pays homage to the stone archways dominating the space.
Steps lead up to magnificent stone-framed leaded windows and the library, which affords the chance for some quiet contemplation.
Experts insist the stained glass windows here allow for more intense colours to pass through. That’s because the original Victorian glass is so much thicker than modern materials.
When plans were drawn up for a place of Episcopalian worship, in 1854, Trinity was described as ‘a sea-bathing place in the vicinity of Edinburgh’.
Among the 19th Century visitors to Christ Church Trinity were mariners whose cutters and gunboats were laid up over the winter months in nearby Granton Harbour.
Today Trinity is viewed as one of the capital’s most sought-after enclaves, as evidenced by the proximity of those middle- class must-haves, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer.
Again, because of the unorthodox configuration of the building, three of the four bedrooms are on the ground floor, with the upper area reserved for the master suite.
Here you will also find a study and family room, but even the galleried landing, which overlooks the sitting room below, is a feature in its own right. There are countless stone gargoyles, cherubs and tiny stained glass windows at every turn, just to remind you whose house this used to be. Max Mills, of selling agent Rettie & Co, said: ‘I am very familiar with Trinity and I wouldn’t hesitate to say this is one of the most distinctive buildings in the whole area.
‘It has a lot of kerb appeal and I know a lot of people would love to get inside the property. They wonder to themselves, “What’s behind those walls?” ‘Well, no two church conversions are the same but the people behind this one have created a trendy, modern and fun living space. ‘The central staircase in the sitting room is particularly smart in the way it acts as a natural partition to the more modern kitchen area beyond. Visitors can’t believe what a clever configuration has been achieved in the conversion of this building.’
• Offers over £945,000 to Max Mills at Rettie. Tel 0131 624 9045 or email max.mills@rettie.co.uk