From saving souls to saving the planet
Being able to visit Passivhaus projects is an important way for would-be clients and selfbuilders to see and feel the benefits of Passivhaus firsthand, helping with the Passivhaus ‘multiplier effect’ and the upscaling of Passivhaus in the UK. Along with the popular Passivhaus Open Days, there is now a growing range of Passivhaus holiday accommodation available in the UK, including the newly-opened Warksburn Old Church self-catering accommodation in Northumberland.
Owners Alan & Anne James very kindly offered the Passivhaus Trust team a free weekend stay at their EnerPHit-certified ‘luxury Passivhaus’ holiday accommodation. The lucky attendees able to take advantage of the offer were Education Associate Tabitha Binding, Policy & Press Associate Chayley Collis & Passivhaus Trust founding Chair Chris Herring, also bringing partners along for the trip to the spacious 3-bed self-catering accommodation. The trio are just back from their Passivhaus mini-break and share their initial reactions and key takeaways from staying in the unique holiday accommodation, the world’s first Passivhaus church-to-home project.
A good night’s sleep
Chayley: As someone who loves the Passivhaus Open Days, having an overnight stay in a Passivhaus added an extra dimension. Perhaps it was no coincidence that having steady temperatures throughout and breathing fresh filtered air helped me sleep like a log while staying there! I always love meeting fellow Passivhaus enthusiasts, and Anne and Alan did not disappoint – there was a lot to talk about! The history of the former Presbyterian church was also fascinating. It has recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of its foundation by Victorian civil engineer Sir George Barclay Bruce. The stained glass windows behind the internal triple glazed timber windows, in memory of his wife and daughter, are one of the standout features of the house for me. It was also a great feature to have the vestry/ utility room outside the thermal envelope, so visitors could instantly feel the difference that Passivhaus comfort brings. The technical solutions required to create a ‘box within a box’ and help the church become EnerPHit certified via the component method were developed by Ecospheric, Passivhaus consultant on the project, and the Warksburn Old Church was certified, appropriately enough, by Jesus Menendez at ZE Passivhaus.
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Quality building
Chris: Warksburn Old Church is a pioneering project and Anne and Alan’s passion for Passivhaus shines through in every discussion. They are also obviously both very technically-minded and have been deeply involved in every step of the journey, including specifying and designing much of the renewable technology and drawing all of the wiring plans – and with over 5 km of cabling that was no small task! Anne has also brought her colour and design flair from her second career as a ceramicist to give the conversion its finishing touches.
Of course, achieving a Passivhaus of this quality requires, above all, teamwork. We watched a documentary about the conversion and spent time talking about the project. The Passivhaus consultant and certifier are both top of their field, but for me what shone through was the work of the builder. A local man, with no previous experience of Passivhaus, he clearly came to the work with a craftsman’s mindset and truly achieved stunning results. The airtightness achieved of 0.19 ACH @50pa, 5 times better than EnerPHit requires, is a testament to the care, craftsmanship and understanding a good builder can bring to a project. So I would like to applaud Anne and Alan for their determination, passion, and sheer hard work but to give special recognition to an outstanding builder David Reed of DJR Building and Joinery. If we only had more, our industry would be in a much better place.
Technical details
Tabitha: My brain lights up when technical solutions are discussed and goes into overdrive when I get to see it in real life. Thankfully Anne and Alan know how and why every intervention was decided on in their 60-month journey to turning a cold damp drafty deconsecrated church into 5-star luxurious certified Passivhaus holiday accommodation. It’s been fascinating to learn about the strategies employed.
Careful repair work of the church stone structure was undertaken with lime mortar repointed, roof slates removed and replaced and stained glass windows restored. A French drain was dug around the building to help prevent water ingress from the outside.
Internally, the decision was taken to build a timber building within the existing structure. This made it easier to achieve airtightness and helped with space-saving insulation (it is a very compact church, more like a chapel). The floor insulation strategy was the same that I have used on my own home retrofit. The floor was dug out and the void was filled with foamed glass insulation, which is load-bearing and with no capillary draw. The internal wall insulation strategy uses a sandwich of PIR, rockwool, and PIR insulation, a method previously implemented by Ecospheric on barn conversions. Moisture is managed via a Delta C-type cavity drainage membrane, which creates a narrow ventilated and drained cavity behind the insulation, terminating at the foamed glass floor structure beneath the building. The Delta C membrane approach is reversible and has been accepted on consented projects by demonstrating that it facilitates moisture expression away from the historic fabric, avoiding entrapment and decay.
The minimal space heating required is provided by infra red heat mats in the floor and some walls and ceilings, providing very localised heating where needed. Hot water provided by an electric mixergy hot water tank. The MVHR system was discreetly located in the ceiling, with vent pipes going out through the roof.
Energy generation, monitoring and saving measures abound, from wastewater heat recovery to large solar PV array with battery storage. Alan told us that the annual energy bill of Warksburn Old Church was minus £450 in its first year of operation.
A big thanks again to all at Warksburn Old Church for enabling Chayley, Chris and Tabitha to experience Passivhaus luxury holiday accommodation!
For those considering a Passivhaus selfbuild, holiday accommodation, like Warksburn Old Church, offers a brilliant chance to experience Passivhaus comfort, efficiency, peacefulness, and air quality firsthand.
Further information
Passivhaus Open Days 2025: Summer edition
Looking for a Passivhaus Holiday? - Passivhaus certified self catering, B&B and hostel options within the UK
Previous PHT story: Let the Passivhaus bells ring! - 7 August 2024
9th June 2025
Get involved with the UK Passivhaus community
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