This former Baptist church is due to go under the hammer for a guide price of £25,000, representing a great conversion opportunity.

However, there are a few major stipulations to the sale.

Situated in the rural village Bucknell, the property was built in 1871 and comprises 1,027 square feet of indoor space.

Although at present it’s only got two rooms (a chapel and back room) it’s ripe to be renovated, featuring original features like double timber front doors and high, beamed ceilings.

With some creativity and know-how there’s the potential to turn it into a stunning home, but it’s certainly not somewhere you can move into straight away.

Mourners must be permitted access to the graveyards in the front and back gardens

Alongside not having water, electricity or foul drainage, the property’s front and back gardens are filled with headstones, as 0.15-acres site served as the church’s cemetery.

While we’ve seen homes with graveyards before, the burial sites are typically centuries old. This chapel was operation until very recently, meaning whoever buys it will be subject to a number of rules.

What would you do with the space?

The new owner will be required to provide access to the cemetery ‘at all reasonable times, to all persons wishing to tend particular graves,’ and to keep the grounds maintained for visitors.

They must also permit the opening up of existing graves for family members of those already buried there, provide new graves for the former members of Coxall Baptist Church, and allow funeral services to take place on the grounds.

New graves must also be permitted

It’s not your average garden, so the winning bidder will need to be okay with sharing the space with mourners. A keen interest in gardening is also a plus.

Yet, for the right person, the property has plenty to offer.

‘We believe there is a Baptistry Bath beneath the floorboards in front of the pulpit, though we were unable to investigate further as the floorboards are screwed down,’ reads the Rightmove listing.

There’s plenty of potential for the right buyer

Additionally, estate agent Halls, highlights the building’s stained glass window accents, charming iron-railed fencing, and lean-to brick construction (which currently houses a camping toilet) to the rear.

Unfortunately, the pews and organ you see in some pictures aren’t included as part of the sale, so you won’t get the full Sunday morning experience.

What you will get is a place packed full of history, as well as the chance to make a unique place of worship your own.

The property will be put up for auction on Friday April 28, 2023, at 3pm at Halls Holdings House, Bowmen Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury.