Carnoch Church

Highlands

The clients wanted to preserve more than the fabric of this historic B-listed Telford church. They also wanted to respect the memories held within it and its place in the life of the community, while giving the building a new purpose as a home.

The challenge was to introduce a completely new way of living without losing the character and presence that had made the church important to generations before them.

A restrained intervention
Flood risk from the nearby River Meig helped shape the solution. Raising the principal floor protects the accommodation and brings the occupants into a closer relationship with the tall windows and surrounding landscape.

External change was kept to a minimum. Timber windows were carefully matched and discreet rooflights introduced, allowing the original form to remain legible. Inside, new elements are clearly contemporary but deliberately few: a central stove and gable organise the living space, while a sculptural stair recalls the presence of the former pulpit.

Completed in 2017, the project gives the church a viable future without disguising what it was. The result is a home of unusual atmosphere, where the scale, light and memory of the original building remain the dominant experience.

Awards and recognition
Selected by The Times as a Best Rescued Ruin among British listed buildings.

Photography: Felix Mooneeram