A couple who paid £490,000 for a 19th-century church say they have found their “dream home”, despite believing the property’s former crypt basement may be haunted. Joe and Mary Smith, aged 37 and 32, bought the church, located south of Bristol, in January 2026 after falling in love with its historic character.The previous owners had renovated the property around a decade ago while retaining many of its original features. Among the details that attracted the couple were the church’s stained-glass windows and hardwood floors. However, since moving in, Mary has experienced what she describes as some unsettling activity around the former crypt, including hearing whistling and footsteps.Mary, who works in commercial events in finance and is from Bristol, said the property immediately stood out to them. “It feels like a dream come true every morning we wake up,” Mary was quoted as saying by SWNS, adding that “loads of the original elements have been kept throughout the renovations”.“As soon as we saw it, we knew we had to have it. Living here now makes all the trouble worth it, even though I’m pretty sure our crypt basement is haunted,” Mary said.
Couple made an offer within 30 minutes
The couple had previously been living in a two-bedroom rental in Bath, Somerset, after an offer on another property fell through following 10 months of waiting.They felt they were back at square one when they spotted the former church on Rightmove. Mary and Joe were the first people to view it and put in an offer just half an hour after leaving.“I knew it was amazing just off the website,” Mary said. “It was like the arch window we’d seen in the other place but times 1,000!”Their offer was accepted in January, and they moved into the property in mid-April. The couple then spent around three months settling into their new home and getting used to its more unusual features.Mary said they were delighted to have secured such a rare property. “It’s such a rare opportunity to be able to live somewhere so unique and beautiful,” she said.However, moving into the former church also presented a practical challenge: their existing furniture was not enough to fill the space. They spent months searching local flea markets and Facebook Marketplace for pieces that would complement the building.“It took us a while to move in, especially after we realised our current furniture didn’t come close to filling the space,” Mary said.
Former crypt leaves Mary feeling uneasy
Mary says living in the couple’s 19th-century church home has left her questioning her disbelief in ghosts after hearing whistling and footsteps near the old crypt. (Photo: SWNS)
While the couple love the history of their new home, Mary admits that the basement can be unsettling.The basement was once a crypt and, although much of it has been boarded up, she says she has heard whistling at the top of the stairs leading down to it, as well as footsteps at night.“Our basement actually used to be a crypt and, even though a lot of it has been boarded up, it still sometimes gives me the creeps,” Mary said.“I will hear whistling on top of the stairs leading down and footsteps in the night.”The experiences have even made Mary question her previous disbelief in ghosts. “Joe is a total non-believer, and I was as well, but living in a place with such history definitely makes me doubt,” she said.The property also retains some unusual reminders of its past. “I mean we have tombstones over our stove top, so maybe there are stray spirits lurking about!” Mary joked.
Hymn board adds to eerie atmosphere
Tombstones over the stove, a former crypt, mysterious whistling and footsteps — yet Mary and Joe still call their £490,000 church their dream home. (Photo: SWNS)
The strange experiences have not been limited to sounds.Mary says an antique wall hymn board has fallen from its hanging twice in the past couple of months, while a vintage clock that no longer works hangs in the living space.“These items do sometimes give me the creeps,” she said, particularly describing the hymn board as unsettling because “the fact it keeps moving freaks me out!”Despite the unexplained incidents, Mary says neither she nor Joe regrets buying the unusual property.“Nevertheless, we love this home and the life we’ve started here, complete with a new puppy,” she said.“The history of this property is what makes it such a magical home – we wouldn’t change a thing!”