Couple in their 70s buy derelict 160-year-old church in the Cotswolds for £175,000 as a retirement project after ditching London - and it's now worth £700,000

When 70-year-old retired designer Geoff Bolam and his wife left London for a fresh start in the Cotswolds, he had no idea he was about to tackle the biggest design project of his entire career.

But in only three years, he bought and successfully renovated the derelict, 160-year-old Old Mission Church, purchased at auction for £175,000, into a contemporary property, now worth £700,000.

Tucked away in the picturesque Cotswold village of Paxford in Gloucestershire, the historic building first opened its doors as a children's school in 1866. Within a year, it became an official house of prayer, serving generations for over a century before it was finally disused.

Today, the former church stands as a stylish yet cosy two-bedroom home in neutral tones with pops of teal and navy, featuring a dramatic nave, two luxury bathrooms, sleek kitchen space, suspended mezzanine bedroom pod and restored Victorian details.

The property was acquired in 2018 by Geoff and his wife Julie, also 70, who purchased it at a closed auction.

Driven by an ambitious vision to reinvent the space, the former designer, who has decades of experience running his own business in west London, invested a significant amount of money and time into bringing it to life, with the transformation costing £370,000.

But this was no simple renovation, with the building's age, status and poor condition creating a number of hurdles along the way.

Geoff Bolam pictured with wife Julie outside the Old Mission Church in Gloucestershire, which they'd successfully bought and renovated for a total £545,000 

Pictured: Geoff standing proudly in front of his incredible vision 

Pictured: A closer look at the stylish mezzanine bedroom

Facing everything from structural crises and conservation rules to a full re-roof, excavated floors, and complete lime replastering, Geoff - supported by a small yet trusted team - was forced to wade through entirely unfamiliar territory. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail about his life in the capital before the big move to the Cotswolds, Geoff said: 'I ran a design company for nearly 20 years, originally based in Carnaby Street before moving out to Soho.' 

Soon after semi-retiring in their early 60s, Geoff and his wife Julie – now 70 – decided it was time for a slower pace of life in the countryside.

In 2018, they sold their four-bed home in High Wycombe for a charming three-bed property in Paxton.

With money left over from the sale of their old home, the couple soon became interested in buying another property – a 'little cottage' as Geoff puts it – to use as a holiday let in the local area. 

And when a neighbour pointed out the local church was going to auction, it's as if a stroke of fate played right into the designer's hands.

He said: 'I went and had a little look around that weekend. Had a little and thought it looked interesting and that maybe it would work. 

'It was basically for sale by sealed bids, so did some sketches, put some thoughts on the back of an envelope, and put our bid in. We then had a phone call to tell us that we were the highest bidder.'

Stage 1: The 160-year-old church before it was put to auction 

Stage 2: Geoff and his team of builders and architects spent two years re-roofing, excavating floors, and completing lime replastering

Stage 3: The former church today stands as a stylish yet cosy two-bedroom home in neutral tones with pops of teal and navy, featuring a dramatic nave and suspended mezzanine bedroom pod

Although Geoff had triumphed in securing the building, it appeared buying it was the easy part.

The church had no planning permission to become a home, and its status as a non-listed heritage asset meant Geoff and Julie had to tread carefully. 

He said: 'One of the things we had to do was to apply the change of use from a church to a dwelling. That in itself involves a little bit of risk because you never know who is going to raise objections. 

'But I think the church had exhausted all options to keep it as a church, and it wasn't really being used very much. It was being used for short services over Easter and Christmas for a short service, and a lot of money was being spent on its upkeep.'

'We also had to have a fallback plan. We thought, "Well, if we can't get permission to convert it to a house, what could we do instead?" And so we had to come up with a plan B, turn it into an art gallery or something of that sort.' 

Over the course of two years, the couple navigated planning, working with a conservation officer and tweaking their plans before a builder could finally get on site.

One of the early stumbling blocks was the roof lights. Geoff had initially intended on adding them to bring more light into the property, but the conservation officer objected to their position because they would be visible from the road. 

The planned interior layout also had to change, as did the position of a chimney for a log burner. 

The concrete floor had to be ripped out back to the earth, while cement-based pointing and old internal render were removed and replaced with breathable lime materials

Facing everything from structural crises and conservation rules to a full re-roof, Geoff - supported by a small yet trusted team - was forced to wade through entirely unfamiliar territory

Geoff removing the old Clock Face for renovation

While the first architect proposed putting a bedroom in the church's chancel, the front part typically found around the altar, the design would have required a large partition across the building.

The conservation officer further pointed out that this would destroy the feeling of the church.

With this in mind, Geoff enlisted help from a second architect, who drummed up a 'really good' interior plan.

The bedroom takes the form of a suspended glass pod, creating a striking focal point right at the entrance, the lounge would be situated below, and the kitchen would be positioned at the back of the building in the schoolroom.

But even after planning permission was secured, the biggest surprises were still waiting beneath the surface.

The couple soon discovered that the church had serious problems hidden beneath its old exterior.

One of the biggest was rising damp, caused by the original wooden floor having been replaced with concrete years earlier. According to Geoff, the concrete had trapped moisture and forced it up into the stone walls.

The floor had to be ripped out back to the earth, while cement-based pointing and old internal render were removed and replaced with breathable lime materials.

The church's original stained-glass windows have been retained 

‹ Slide me ›

Once the roof was opened up, rotten timbers were uncovered, resulting it in having to be partly reconstructed and completely retiled 

Then the team turned their attention to the roof - only to discover that it was in far worse condition than they had realised.

Geoff said he had initially thought they could keep the existing roof covering and simply put in a new ceiling. 

But the team soon discovered that the ceiling was integral to the roof structure, and that removing it would cause the tiles to fall.

Once the roof was opened up, rotten timbers were uncovered, resulting it in having to be partly reconstructed and completely retiled. 

And although the couple managed to save nearly all the original tiles, they still needed more to comply with modern regulations, with Geoff calling the task a 'big undertaking'. 

While the renovation was largely handled by a local building company, Geoff revealed that around five to 10 per cent of the work was carried out himself - including the decorating, with friends and neighbours helping at the weekends. 

His biggest saving came from doing the project management himself - around £20,000 in total. 

He said: 'I'd get down there when the guys arrived about eight in the morning and leave for lunch, come back and then finish at 4pm. 

'I was there all day, every day, keeping an eye on things, dealing with questions, making sure supplies were arriving when they needed to, sourcing materials...

He added: 'That is a really big way you can save money is to do the project management yourself. Wow, but it is almost a full-time job.' 

In total, the transformation took around three years - two years of design and planning, followed by just over a year of building work.

While the church cost £175,000 to buy, the renovation came to around £370,000, putting the total investment at roughly £545,000. 

When the work was finished in October 2021, the property was valued at around £700,000. 

Today, the two-bed home is a plush yet snug holiday let, welcoming mostly weekend guests and those staying for a week. 

When the work was finished in October 2021, the property was valued at around £700,000

A bathtub in the downstairs bedroom 

 A modern staircase takes guests up to the mezzanine bedroom 

A sleek new navy-coloured kitchen area 

Another look at the downstairs bedroom, which oozes Cotswolds charm 

Since opening for bookings in November 2021, the property has received 276 bookings and 750 guests - as well as 213 dogs, with Geoff adding: 'Yes, we are very dog friendly!' 

The holiday let has also had back to back five-star reviews since opening, with only one negative comment from a guest who complained of having to park across the road - something Geoff mentioned is included in the listing description.

In the low season, the price per weekend stay is £850, while the cost in peak season is around £1100. 

The property has also picked up an accolade of its own, winning Best Boutique Stay in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire at the 2025 Muddy Stilettos Awards. 

Geoff added: 'Usually the thing you hear when [guests] walk in the door is "Wow". They'll say, "Oh, it looks even better than it does in the photos."

But for Geoff, the biggest achievement is not the award, the valuation or even the sleek new interior. It is the fact that the church is still standing.

'We kind of saved a building that was in pretty poor state of repair,' he says.

The work was expensive, but Geoff believes it has given the old building another century of life.

'So we think now the church has got another 100 years or so of life in it. We're quite proud of that.'