This exemplary marriage of old and new is the widely-admired, award-winning Providence Chapel by the architect Jonathan Tuckey. It is a beautiful 19th century chapel that has been converted and significantly extended to create a wonderful four-bedroom house with over 3,000 sq ft of internal space. Located in the centre of Colerne, one of Wiltshire’s prettiest villages, it is surrounded by magnificent countryside and is only seven miles from the city of Bath.

Tuckey has done little to alter the original chapel building, which now contains a voluminous open plan kitchen / living / dining room, bedroom and separate study. He has instead added a large new-build extension, reached via a glass link, that houses three further bedrooms, a bathroom and large utility room. The form of the extension echoes the simple, elegant forms of the chapel building. As Jonathan Bell & Ellie Stathaki write of the project in their book ‘The New Modern House’, “the use if blackened timber cladding make the new structure the shadow cast by the original building”. Tuckey himself has said that he wanted the extension to be “complementary, not competing with, the scale and status of the chapel itself”.

The Grade II-listed chapel dates from 1867 and was bought by the present owners directly from the Baptists in 2003. Bell & Stathaki describe this beautiful Bath stone building as “resembling a miniature temple set within its own walled garden”. The current owners restored many of the original features, such as the floors, choir gallery and even the pews, to create a rich, resonant space that was still suitable for 21st century living. Tuckey stuck with a simple palette of materials for the extension – Douglas Fir, poured concrete, white-painted plaster – yet focused on outstanding energy performance.

Providence Chapel has featured in numerous books and publications including the World of Interiors and Stella Magazine and has been gathered both local and national awards.

The house is set within attractive walled gardens that surround it on all sides. A wrought iron gate at the front of the property lead up a paved path to the front door. There is a vegetable garden in one part of the garden, a wide lawn at the rear and some wonderful trees including larch, horse chestnut and quince.

Colerne is a thriving Wiltshire village in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It benefits from a shop, two pubs, post office and a village school. Wonderful countryside walks can be found in all directions. Lucknam Park, with its renowned spa and resturaurant is within five minutes drive. Approximately nine miles in one direction is the larger town of Chippenham which has station running services to London Paddington in 75 minutes. In the other direction is the celebrated city of Bath (a World Heritage Site) which has a wide variety of cultural, shopping and dining opportunities.

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.