Couple renovate church into dwelling and discover 83 our bodies buried beneath flooring

A couple were warned there might be ‘five or six’ bodies under the church they were renovating. However they were shocked to discover 83 bodies under the floor boards of the church

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A married couple were left in shock when they discovered dozens of dead bodies underneath the property they are renovating into their dream home.

Lucy Thomas, 53, and Rhys, 45, uncovered 83 bodies underneath the church they bought. The couple had often driven past St Peters Church, which is Grade I listed before noticing it was up for sale.

The listing described it as a five-bedroom house, leading them to believe the conversion work on the 900-year-old building had already been completed. However, during a viewing, they were surprised to find the property was still very much a church and required a complete renovation.

The couple purchased the property at auction for £405,000 despite the obvious challenge.

Lucy and Rhys had been warned there might be “five or six” bodies beneath the floor, as historically influential or wealthy individuals were often buried under churches. However, Lucy and Rhys were “shocked” when they lifted the flooring and found “body after body”, totalling 83.

Out of respect for the deceased, the couple decided to leave the bodies in place and then laid a new floor over them, complete with underfloor heating.

Lucy said: “We needed to have an archaeologist present when we started digging up the floor. They said to me, because we were digging down 40 centimetres, we would inevitably going to find a body somewhere as in the past often influential, religious or rich people in the community would be buried within the floors of the church.

“We didn’t know this, so we were a bit apprehensive – but they said we would only find about five or six bodies, when they started digging, it became apparent there was a lot more than we first envisioned.

“The first few were uncomfortable but we gradually warmed to the process. People were buried together – husbands and wives, parents with children, so we decided to leave them in their final resting places and continue the build around them.” The church at Peterstone Wentlooge, in Wales, was built in 1142.

Lucy described the four-year project, which they have only just completed after purchasing it back in 2021, as a “huge battle and accomplishment.”

The Welsh family acquired the church, which was advertised on Rightmove, just after the Covid-19 pandemic. Before viewing the property, the couple believed they were going to inspect a church which had already been transformed into a home. It was advertised as a five-bedroom family house – but the conversion hadn’t been carried – however there was planning permission in place which needed to be approved.

Lucy said: “We were surprised to find that it was still a church. When we finally got to see inside it, it was apparent the work hadn’t been done – we thought we were viewing a five-bed house!”

“Planning was in place for a change of use to a residential dwelling. We’d gone with no intention of doing a lot of work – let alone converting the whole church. But by then it was too late and we had both fallen hook, line, and sinker for the building and its charms.”

For the first 18 months they could only “chip away” at the property because they were awaiting planning permission from the council. Rhys said: “It was a bit of a challenging job – we just learnt as we went along. We spent lots of time googling and joining listed building groups.”

Lucy and Rhys took on the task of removing the century-old floor themselves, after which a stonemason repurposed it into a patio outside the property, preserving all the original engravings and stone.

A local builder was hired to oversee the conversion, which is centred around a mezzanine flitch frame – a combination of metal and wood. Lucy explained this allowed them to preserve many of the church’s original features.

She said: “We employed builders to do the works as between us we can barely change a bulb! Due to the mezzanine flitch frame, we were able to leave the church as it was – the old original church walls are untouched.

“We also have a bell tower and bell ringers to maintain them – but we had to repair the bells and install new ropes to ring the eight bells! It been a bit of a challenge – but we’ve got there eventually!”

Despite retaining all of the original church features, the family have incorporated modern elements such as secondary glazing on the windows, underfloor heating, a snooker table, grand piano, bar area and a large hot tub.

The once-derelict church has been transformed into an awe-inspiring six-bedroom, six-bathroom property that is currently listed on Airbnb.

Lucy added: “We are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and everyone has contributed – our children, the architects, the builders and of course my husband, Rhys, who has managed all the finances and paperwork!

She added: “We have poured our hearts and souls into this project – and we’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”

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