Christmas Past
Is it just me or do the years go quicker than they used to? We are all so busy it’s easy to forget to stand back and enjoy the focal points in the calendar. Winter can seem long and dreary so Christmas is a bright and cheerful interlude... but it should also be recognised for the festival it celebrates which in times gone by was far more pronounced than the glitter with which it is associated to-day. Families and communities all congregated in the parish churches and chapels with the parish priests hosting festivities during the twelve days of Christmas in vicarages, halls and meeting houses. The 20th century saw a massive decline in congregations and with a far more multi cultural society celebrations take on different forms, rendering many chapels, vicarages and former ecclesiastical buildings either redundant or uneconomic for their purpose.
Step in the property entrepreneur and those seeking the opportunity to create an individual home. Draughty old rectories and vicarages were replaced with modern homes for the resident incumbents with those splendid buildings becoming sought after by business and professional people, thereby ensuring the continuity of some of most beautiful buildings in the landscape. A survey showed The Old Rectory and Vicarage are in the top most valued addresses following The Manor. Across the county are numerous examples of chapels and meeting houses converted to individual homes.
So does the ghost of Christmas past declare itself on St. Nicholas’ day in the buildings where communities gathered but now see just a family gathering? Maybe!
As ever there are properties for all tastes and budgets in this sector across the county and there are those sold in the last year where the new residents will be enjoying their first Christmas in these gracious houses. Mansbridge and Balment sold two 9th century vicarages - one at Milton Abbot that has a distinct Georgian feel to it with imposing gated entrance and sweeping staircase whilst the other at Broadwoodwidger built in the 1850s is distinctly Victorian, approached from the village green by a quarter mile driveway and commanding wonderful views towards Brentor.
Opportunities today include The Old Chapel in Moretonhampstead offered by Srutt and Parker (01392 215631) –a spacious residence with courtyard gardens and a two bedroom annexe near the centre of this favoured Dartmoor town. For those wishing to be closer to city amenities Grade 2 listed Victorian Chapel in Topsham offers a newly converted chapel retaining the core features of the building with a 30 foot reception area, vaulted ceilings, arched windows etc. Knight Frank (01392 423111) have the details. In East Devon at Shute, near Axminster, Humberts (01404 42456) offer The Old Vicarage. Another stunning 6 bedroom property standing in 3 acres of wonderful gardens and stunning views toward the Jurassic Coast. Offered with a coach house with conversion potential this must be a wonderful home to acquire and enjoy in Christmases coming....
So, wherever Christmas takes you, whatever the building in which you clebrate they all remind us - “it’s all about coming home”
Nigel Bishop
Founder & Managing Director of Recoco Property Search