Ely Diocese plans to turn Denton's ruined church into a home

The Grade II listed roofless church has been deteriorating since the 1960s

A ruined church could be turned into a home in a bid to preserve what is left of the building.

The plan to transform the Grade II listed All Saints Church in Denton, near Caldecote, Cambridgeshire, has been put forward by the Diocese of Ely.

The church fell out of use in the 1950s and became a ruin in the 1960s.

The diocese said a "major public benefit will exist which would be lost if the ruin is allowed to follow its current trajectory of decline".

The Diocese of Ely said the conversion would "preserve the existing ruin"

The roofless church has elements that date back to the 13th century, and parts of the building were rebuilt in the Stuart and Victorian eras.

In its planning application to Huntingdonshire District Council, Ely Diocese said that the roof was removed in the 1960s to make the church safe, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The proposed conversion includes alterations and repairs to the church building, such as a new roof with a rooflight and dormer windows, rebuilding the porch with a glazed canopy roof and a new door.

The church could be turned into a two or three-bedroom home under the plans, and have its own parking area.

The diocese said that turning the dilapidated church into a house would "preserve the existing ruin", and "ensure that what is left of the fabric of the old church is retained for future generations".

If the conversion was allowed to go ahead, villagers would still be able to access a designated area of the churchyard grounds, which would include the gravestones, the diocese added.