Our House: Singing the praises of Paul and Shirley Quinlan’s chapel conversion at Pole Moor

Mar 2 2010 By Emma Davison

Our House: Singing the praises of Paul and Shirley Quinlan’s chapel conversion at Pole Moor

WHEN Paul and Shirley Quinlan sealed the deal on their Pole Moor home they literally felt on top of the world.

And they had good reason for the couple had become the proud new owners of part of a converted chapel perched on a hillside 1,100ft above the Colne Valley.

The property was a world away from the traditional semis the couple had been accustomed to when they had been living in Oldham.

Shirley, 53, says: “Seeing this chapel sat on top of the hill as I drove in from Huddersfield just reminded me of somewhere you would expect to find Cathy and Heathcliff!

“It was absolutely stunning and it felt like a real privilege to be able to call it home.”

Paul and Shirley soon found that their new three-bedroomed home formed an important part of local history.

The Grade II listed property was originally Pole Moor Baptist Church and known for over 200 years as the Tabernacle on the Hill.

The original chapel was built in 1790 with the newer chapel added in 1859 to accommodate increasing numbers of parishioners.

In its heyday the church had a membership of over 200, but dwindling attendance eventually forced its closure in 1992.

The chapel was then converted into six apartments in 2001 and Paul and Shirley moved in two-and-a-half years ago.

Shirley said: “We liked the idea of living in a converted property, of having a home that was old but with all the modern features inside. Some conversions can feel quite small, but this has been very well done and there’s a huge amount of space.

“It’s an apartment, but feels like a house with its own front door.

“We’ve also got the beautiful chapel windows which flood light into the property and each of the apartments have some of the original stone work exposed.”

The chapel – which appeared in a funeral episode of Last of the Summer Wine – also benefits from some particularly quiet neighbours.

Shirley says: “There are two graveyards – a very old one on the other side of the chapel and one across the road which is still used for burials.