“Converting a church is not for the faint hearted,” Philip Doig says. “You buy them without even having any planning consent in place. Then you’ve no real idea how much the build costs will be.”
Nevertheless, convert an old church is exactly what Philip has done. After searching all over Dundee and Fife – “I must have visited 20 churches before I bought this one” – he finally found the right project property.
We’re sitting in the living room of the Old Church in Kilmany. Located just off the A92 and surrounded by countryside, the village has a population of less than 100 and is most famous as the birth place of two-time Formula One champion Jim Clark.
The church sits in a peaceful location on the southern edge of the village. A footpath from the road leads through a gate in the stone wall and through the old cemetery to the church.
Steeped in history
The A listed church dates from 1768 although parts of it are believed to be much older. It was remodelled in Victorian times, with extra windows added as well as the beautiful hardwood ceiling.
Philip bought it around four years ago with the intention of converting it into a home. The 49-year old is a serial renovator.
“I started with a flat in Dundee I got for £23,000 from my aunt,” he says. “That was about 25 years ago and when it came on the market 18 months ago I was pleased to see the kitchen I fitted was still there,” he says.
“In total I’ve done about a dozen projects in Dundee and Fife. My passion is rescuing old properties and restoring them. I’m always scouring the Buildings at Risk register looking for potential projects.”
He chose the Old Church for its secluded, peaceful location and because it was a good size and shape for converting to a home.
“Part of the challenge is working out what to do with the space,” he continues. “Some churches are far too big to be converted into one home.
“With others it’s difficult to create rooms out of them. This one is a long shape so you can have bedrooms at either end with the main living space in the middle.”
Philip usually does much of the work himself, however an episode of ill health meant he relied on tradesmen to convert the Old Church. “I do everything that you can safely do yourself – fitting kitchens, plumbing that doesn’t involve gas, painting, plastering and so on,” he continues.
Converting Kilmany Church
He used Methil-based architect Liam Anderson to create plans for the conversion. “He did Trinity Church in Newport, which was turned into three fantastic apartments,” Philip explains.
“Not every architect knows what to do with a church but Liam had experience and really understood what I wanted to do.”
Although he bought the Old Church in Kilmany four years ago the project was only completed in March this year. “Covid really delayed things,” he says. “When lockdown finally ended there was such a backlog that it was impossible to get a plumber or a sparky.
“Costs also spiralled as well. The first bag of plaster I bought for the project cost £6.50 and the last bag was £16.50. The price of materials has gone through the roof over the last couple of years.”
All the stress, cost overruns and hard work were worth it though. Stepping into the Old Church is a very special experience.
Original timber doors open into a vestibule which has a WC off it. “When I bought the church that WC was the only plumbing in the whole building,” Philip smiles.
From there another set of timber doors open into a hallway. Two small rooms lie to the left and right. There’s a utility room and a boiler room, which houses the biomass boiler Philip installed to make the Old Church more environmentally friendly to heat.
Amazing living space
From here it’s on to the main event. The vast open plan living area is a wonderful room. The vaulted ceiling soars 21 feet high and is lined with hardwood. Designer lighting descends on long cords from the ceiling to help the room feel homely.
There is a modern kitchen, a television area and a couple of sofas for reading and relaxing.
The original pulpit has been retained and is now home to Philip’s DJ decks. “In the daytime this room is all tranquil and Classic FM,” Philip smiles. “But at night you can light it up and turn it into disco/party mode.”
A set of stairs leads up to a mezzanine level that overlooks the main living space. Philip uses this as his home office and also as a snug. There’s an area for a desk and chairs, a lovely window seat, and a couple of armchairs in front of a television.
“My commute to work in the morning is from my bedroom on the far side of the house, past the kitchen to get a coffee, and up the stairs to my desk,” he says. “Sometimes on a winter’s evening I’ll sit up here and watch television. It feels more cosy up here.”
Bedrooms and views
Beyond the main living room is the bedroom wing. There are two double bedrooms and a shower room at ground level. The doorway to the second bedroom is cleverly placed so that from the entrance at the front of the church you can see right through to the window at the rear of the building.
Stairs lead up to the master bedroom which has its own en suite with shower and bath. The bedroom window enjoys a superb outlook across the Fife countryside.
The rear porch has the original timber door then a small vestibule with a newly fitted glazed door.
The Old Church doesn’t have its own garden but the surrounding graveyard is no longer in use, with the most recent burials upwards of 30 years ago.
“The council still maintains it and there doesn’t seem to be any mourners here anymore,” Philip says. “I once had some American tourists here researching their family history. They asked if they could have a look inside the church so I happily gave them a tour.”
Philip moved in to the Old Church in March but is already getting itchy feet. “Kilmany’s really nice and has a lovely artistic community, but I really enjoy developing and rescuing old buildings so I’m already looking for my next project.
“There are a couple of cottages I have my eye on. When I finished this place I swore I’d never do another church again, but never say never…”
The Old Church, Easter Kilmany is on sale with Rettie for offers over £325,000.
