Only a few days to go before the 2026 NEETAs (North East England Tourism Awards). We are thrilled that Warksburn Old Church has been shortlisted in two categories: New Tourism Business of the Year and Self Catering Accommodation of the Year.
We can’t wait to find out how the judges rated us. If we’re lucky enough to receive an award, we look forward to adding a NEETA to our existing Gold Awards from VisitEngland and Green Tourism, and our VisitEngland 5 star rating.
If you’d like to experience this exceptional property for yourself, click here to make your booking.
We are delighted that Warksburn Old Church is featured as a 5 Star, Gold Award winner on Rated Trips, the definitive website for quality assessed tourism and gastronomy, jointly operated by the AA and Visit England. Click the image below to view our listing on Rated Trips.
We are absolutely thrilled to share that Warksburn Old Church has been hand-picked by the team at Host Unusual for their latest travel roundup, celebrating unique getaways tailored for art, history, and culture lovers.
Celebrating Curated North East Art
The brilliant new article, titled “One for the Culture Vultures! Unusual Retreats with On-Site Museums and Art Galleries”, takes a global look at holidays elevated by close proximity to fascinating local artwork and history. From floating exhibition rooms designed by award-winning architects in Japan to a historic submarine museum in the USA, the list is a remarkable collection of stays offering something truly extraordinary.
We are incredibly proud to see Warksburn Old Church featured among such awe-inspiring company. As the article highlights, our globally unique, Passivhaus certified holiday rental is much more than a luxurious Net Zero conversion of a 19th-century church. We have worked hard to create our own in-church gallery space, displaying a carefully curated selection of North East artwork and beautiful ceramics for our guests to immerse themselves in during their stay.
Your Own Private Gallery in Northumberland
Whether you are admiring the local artistic talent showcased within our historic stone walls or heading out to explore the rich cultural heritage of nearby Hadrian’s Wall and Kielder Water, a stay with us is designed to inspire. Sleeping up to six guests across three en-suite bedrooms, our sanctuary offers the perfect blend of high-end comfort, Green Tourism Gold award-winning sustainability, and local culture.
Read the Feature and Plan Your Stay
You can read the full article and explore the other incredible properties by visiting the Host Unusual blog here
If you are feeling inspired to surround yourself with art, history, and unparalleled luxury, we would love to welcome you. You can check our availability and secure your dates directly through our website. Stays start from £250 per night.
There is still time to book a luxurious sanctuary for the February half term. We have released last-minute availability for a short, restorative break in the heart of Northumberland. Whether you are looking to explore the dark skies of Kielder or simply relax in the consistent warmth of a Passivhaus-certified home, Warksburn Old Church offers the perfect retreat.
The offer
For stays starting any day after 16 February and checking out by the morning of 23 February, we are offering an exclusive 30% discount when you use the code HALFTERM30. This offer is available for a minimum stay of two nights, giving you the flexibility to enjoy a brief but memorable escape.
Why visit now?
February in Northumberland is a time of stark beauty and cozy evenings. Close to Hadrian’s Wall, The National Park, and the International Dark Skies Park at Kielder, Warksburn Old Church is the ideal base for a visit to this spectacular and historically rich part of the country. Holding VisitEngland 5-Star Self-Catering Rating, VisitEngland Gold Award and Green Tourism Gold our multi award-winning property ensures your comfort is paramount. As the world’s only Passivhaus-certified church converion, you are guaranteed a warm and toasty stay, regardless of the weather outside.
How to book
How to Book This offer is available exclusively for direct bookings. Secure your dates and apply your discount code HALFTERM30 using the calendar below.
The dust has settled, the credits have rolled, and we are finally able to talk about it.
Last night (9th February 2026) Warksburn Old Church featured in the major new Channel 4 documentary Guy Martin’s House Without Bills.
For us both, having lived through the painstaking renovation programme to turn a freezing Victorian structure into the world’s first Passivhaus-certified church-to-home conversion, it was a moment of immense pride. Seeing Guy Martin, a living legend who truly knows his way around engineering, inspecting our plant room and describing the project as a “blueprint for future houses” was the ultimate validation. His really positive reaction to the design details and the interior finishes is also a ringing endorsement of the superb quality of the work carried out by our Builder, David Reed, and the exceptional project team of professionals, craftspeople and suppliers who supported him.
The Response
Since the show aired, our website has been busier than it has ever been. It seems the idea of a luxury home that costs (literally) less than nothing to heat resonates with… well, everyone.
We have been blown away by the messages of support and the genuine interest in how we created a ‘Beyond Net Zero’ home with a negative energy bill, whilst also preserving the heritage of this beautiful 1875 building.
Experience it for Yourself
Whilst the TV show focused on the technical achievement, Warksburn Old Church is, first and foremost, a home. And it’s available to book, whether you’d like to experience life in a Zero Energy Cost & Zero Energy Carbon (“2ZEC”) home for yourself, or whether you’d simply to enjoy a luxury break in Northumberland, we would love to welcome you.
To say thank you for the overwhelming support following the broadcast, we are offering a 10% discount on bookings to everyone who joins our mailing list. You can sign up using the form at the bottom of this page to receive your code.
The Future is Scalable
While the documentary focused on the church as a single home, pioneering the future of ultra-efficient housing, the real story is what comes next. As we discussed with Guy on camera, this isn’t just about one holiday let; it is about proving a concept. If we can make a stone church from 1875 energy-positive, we can do it anywhere. ‘Watch this space’ for exciting news on that subject over the next few months.
So thank you to Guy, to North One TV who made the programme and, that you to everyone who watched, messaged, and visited. We look forward to welcoming you to Wark very soon.
Click the Channel 4 logo to stream the show for free. The segment on Warksburn Old Church starts at 14 min 20 sec along the timeline.
We are delighted that Warksburn Old Church was featured in Guy Martin’s House Without Bills, a major 90-minute documentary, which was first broadcast on Channel 4 at 9pm on Monday 9th February 2026.
Click the Channel 4 logo to stream the programme for free. The section featuring Warksburn Old Church starts at 14 min 20 sec on the timeline.
Commissioned by Channel 4 and produced by North One, the programme follows energy efficiency obsessive and former Isle of Man TT racer, Guy Martin, as he joins a nine-month renovation of a semi-detached house in the Manchester suburb of Stretford. The ultimate aim? To drive its heating bills as low as possible by transforming it into a Passivhaus—the ‘gold standard’ in ultra-low energy building certification.
Why Warksburn Old Church?
As part of the documentary, Guy investigates the broader story of British housing’s future: visiting Warksburn Old Church in Northumberland, one of the most energy efficient homes in the country.
Guy Martin interviewing Anne and Alan James at Warksburn Old Church – CREDIT North One / Channel 4
We are proud to be the only Passivhaus certified church-to-home conversion in the world. It was a privilege to welcome Guy and his crew to Northumberland for filming back in September 2025, and to show them exactly what is achievable when you renovate a heritage building to the world’s most demanding building standard, and combine that with cutting-edge energy management.
“Fair Play to Them”
Guy Martin is known for his straight-talking honesty, so we were delighted to hear his verdict on our labour of love. Reflecting on his visit to Wark, Guy said:
“Meeting Anne and Alan was an education, I loved their attention to detail. What they’ve done there at the church is amazing and could be a blueprint for future houses. Fair play to them.”
Guy knows the nuts and bolts of engineering inside out, so his kind words about our eco-home mean the world to us: thank you!
A Secret Celebration
Filming television is hard work, but we’re delighted that Guy and the team enjoyed a rather special personal moment whilst they were here. Filming took place just a week or so before his Guy’s wedding, so Warksburn Old Church became the impromptu venue for a ‘mini stag do’ for him and his trusty film crew, who’ve worked with him for 15 years.
Guy’s “mini stag do” with the his film crew – CREDIT North One / Channel 4
View the programme
Click the Channel 4 logo to stream the programme for free. The section featuring Warksburn Old Church starts at 14 min 20 sec on the timeline.
Guy with Anne and Alan on location at Warksburn Old Church – CREDIT North One / Channel 4
Thanks to the ‘Host Writer’ blog team at Host Unusual for featuring Warksburn Old Church in their feature on Award-Winning Global Retreats of 2025. We are honoured to be included in this ‘red carpet roll call’ of truly exceptional places to stay, both in the UK and around the world.
Thanks to Dawn, Alex and their colleagues at Host Unusual’s ‘Host Writer’ blog for their in-depth feature, which explores what motivated us to combine heritage renovation, luxury interior design and uncompromising sustainability, to create the world’s first Passivhaus-certified church conversion.
Host Unusual is a pre-eminent and authoritative site listing exceptional places to stay, and their expert team really is top drawer. So it was a real pleasure for us to discuss with them how we operate Warksburn Old Church as a tourism business and, above all, how our guests experience and enjoy their stays at this one-of-a-kind property.
Thanks to our friends at Visit Northumberland for featuring us in the November edition of their Partner Newsletter. Their article also links to the recent ITV News coverage, in which Neil Carney, Head of Destination at Visit Northumberland, kindly praised Warksburn Old Church as a “magnificent asset for the Northumberland visitor economy,” highlighting how we blend exceptional sustainability with comfort, style, and deep respect for its heritage.
Read the Visit Northumberland partner newsletter here. View the ITV News article by clicking the image below.
Link to ITV News Tyne Tees coverage of Warksburn Old Church
We are thrilled to report that our recently-awarded VisitEngland 5 Star rating has now gone live on the Rated Trips website, the authoritative ‘single source of truth’ registry of tourism accommodation which has been independently assessed against strict quality requirements by VisitEngland and AA inspectors.
In addition to the 5 Star rating, the Rated Trips listing also features our twin Gold Awards, from both VisitEngland and Green Tourism. The VisitEngland Gold Award is reserved for only the most exceptional properties, and the Green Tourism reserves its Gold Award only for businesses which have achieved the very highest levels of sustainability.
These awards complement our globally unique certification by the Passive House Institute: Warksburn Old Church is the first Passivhaus church-to-home conversion in the world. Click the logos to learn more about our awards and media coverage.
