Category: Events & Media Coverage

We are thrilled to share that Warksburn Old Church has been featured in the latest Green Tourism Member Spotlight. This in-depth article highlights our journey from a draughty Victorian relic to the world’s only Passivhaus-certified church-to-home conversion. The spotlight provides a fantastic overview of the hard work, investment, and passion that went into creating our sustainable, luxury holiday rental in Northumberland.

A Commitment To Deep Green Innovation

The feature details the extensive renovations required to meet the rigorous Passivhaus certification standards. We discussed the implementation of our super-insulated timber frame, triple glazing, and Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery system. The article also covers our smart energy management, including the south-facing solar array and battery storage, which allows us to export more energy than we consume. As the spotlight notes, this generated a net energy benefit of £1,067 in 2025, meaning the property can showcase ‘Zero Energy Bills’ living to guests.

Award-Winning Sustainability And Guest Experience

Securing our Green Tourism Gold Award was a major milestone, providing independent validation of our commitment to People, Place, and Planet. The spotlight acknowledges that this dedication was also a key factor in our recent success at the 2026 North East England Tourism Awards, where Warksburn Old Church won Gold for Self Catering Accommodation of the Year. However, as we shared with Green Tourism, our greatest reward is providing guests with an unashamedly luxurious stay that opens their eyes to the possibilities of low-carbon living.

A Vision Realised A Century Later

One of the most special elements of the Green Tourism feature is the connection it draws to Sir George Barclay Bruce, the original benefactor of the church in 1875. The article highlights his 1887 vision for storing energy from winds, streams, and tides. We are incredibly proud to have realised his foresight in the very building he helped create. To read the full feature and learn more about our Net Zero luxury, visit the Green Tourism website, or head straight to our blog and booking page to secure your stay.

Book Your Stay At Warksburn Old Church

Experience our award-winning, Passivhaus-certified property for yourself. Book directly with us to ensure the best rates for your Northumberland getaway.

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.

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.

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.

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.

View the programme

As featured in the press:

• Homebuilding & Renovating: World’s first Passivhaus church conversion features in Guy Martin’s ‘House Without Bills’ TV show
• Chronicle Live: Unique Northumberland holiday let to feature on Guy Martin property special
• Hexham Courant: ‘World first’ pioneering eco-home features in Channel 4 documentary
• Channel 4: View programme details for Guy Martin’s House Without Bills

We’re delighted that the Sunday Times has published a major feature article on our trailblazing conversion of Warksburn Old Church into an ultra-efficient Passivhaus home.

Written by Jayne Dowle, one of the UK’s most experienced property journalists, with photography by Charlotte Graham, the article presents a very comprehensive overview of technologies and techniques employed in the conversion project and highlights one of our key motivations for undertaking it.

Alan acknowledges that many people considering making Passivhaus or other low-energy investments into their own homes are put off because it’s hard to imagine what the result will be: “So, in part, Warksburn Old Church is about offering those people a “try before you buy” opportunity to live in a Passivhaus, not just read about it.”