DENTON is a quiet rural hamlet conveniently located about 2 miles south-west of Stilton, a large village with a wide range of facilities including a C of E primary school, a Post Office, general stores and several historic coach inns/public houses.
The city of Peterborough lies about 9 miles north-east and has a main line railway service to King's Cross in less than an hour. There is good access to the A1(M) at Stilton.


ALL SAINTS' CHURCH is a roofless Grade II Listed ruin of coursed limestone rubble and flint dressed with limestone blocks of Ketton or Barnack stone.
The chancel arch is believed to date from the 12th/13th century and may be pre-dated by the tower.
The present building is largely the result of rebuilding campaigns of 1629 and 1665 by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton, 1st Baronet (1571-1631) and his grandson, Sir John (1621-1702). Sir Robert, who was born in Denton, was a noted antiquary, MP and courtier.
The north porch was added in 1665 and the tower modified (if not rebuilt) in 1671.
The Listed Building entry describes the building architecturally as "an interesting example of early Stuart rebuilding, in a medieval revival manner, which retains some early fabric"
The church was restored in 1865, but deteriorated in the mid-20th century and was allowed to become a ruin in the 1960s,

THE SITE

A church on the site in Denton is recorded in the Doomsday Survey of 1086.
That part of the churchyard edged red on the sale plan is included in the sale.
The adjoining land edged blue on the plan will be retained for public access to those areas of the churchyard where graves are still tended.
There are many burials in the area of churchyard to be included in the sale
Although it is understood the Church is not in a Conservation Area, The Horse Chestnut and three Yew trees are subject to a Tree Preservation Order under Reference L/TPO/304 dated the 12th April 2011.

VIEWING

Prospective purchasers are advised that they may view the property from the curtilage without further authority from the Agents. This is on the strict understanding that they do so entirely at their own risk and that they do not enter the area enclosed by Heras security fencing and the ruin itself.
Access to the ruin will be available on specified viewing dates. Rospective purchasers must contact the Agents to arrange an appointment if they wish to attend.
Hard hats (to be provided by the Agents) must be worn when within the fenced area.

WARNING:
There are hidden gravestones in the churchyard and there is a danger of falling masonry from the building itself. Neither the Seller nor the Agents accept any responsibility for any injury they may suffer during their inspection.
Under no circumstances will children or dogs be permitted on site.


TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING

Planning and Listed Building consent were granted by Huntingdonshire District Council for the conversion and alteration of the building to residential use on the 2nd of April 2025 under references 24/02361/FUL and 24/02363/LBC respectively.
Copies of the decision notices and the conditions attaching to the consents are available for inspection at the Agent's offices or can be downloaded from Huntingdonshire District Council's planning portal.

SERVICES

It is understood that mains supplies of water and electricity are available for connection. Foul drainage will require the construction of a private disposal system.

LEGAL NOTES:

Denton All Saints is a consecrated building. Before any sale can proceed the church will need to be formally closed via a scheme under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011.
Under the Measure, the Ely Diocesan Church Uses Committee has a duty to make every endeavour to find a suitable alternative use for the building and to negotiate provisional terms of sale.
The Committee has decided to carry out this duty by offering the building and part of the churchyard for sale, subject to the conditions and covenants set out herein.
The Committee has no power of sale, but it will report the results of any offers received to the Church Commissioners, who have a Scheme in place for the sale of the land edged red for residential use, which will empower them to sell the building and annexed land for that use. Upon the scheme becoming effective, the building and churchyard will be freed from the legal effects of consecration.
It is only when the scheme has been made (i.e. signed) by the Commissioners, that the property vests in the Commissioners for sale for a specific use.

GENERAL NOTES

1 The plans included in these particulars are for information purposes only. Any dimensions are intended as an approximate guide only and their accuracy is not guaranteed.

2. Prospective purchasers are advised that it may take several months to obtain the necessary approvals, not only for those which are planning related, but also for the legal process for the transfer to take effect.

3. The photograph in these particulars is an archive image so the present appearance of the building is now different in certain respects. In particular, the roof of the tower has recently fallen.

4. The Planning Officer dealing with this case at the District Council is Kevin Simpson.

5. The Conservation Officer at Huntingdonshire D. C. is Mr Nick Armour.

6. PDFs of the Architects' drawings are available from the Selling Agents on request.

7. The approximate boundaries have been pegged out for the guidance of prospective purchasers, but may be subject to further adjustment following clearance of the churchyard.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE

The sale of the land and building edged red on the plan will be subject, inter alia, to the following conditions and covenants:-

The property is sold subject to the recommendation of the Diocese of Ely and the Church Commissioners' approval of the terms of sale.
The sale of the property will be subject to the issue for public consultation, and making (dating) of, a Commissioners Pastoral (Church Buildings Disposal) Scheme providing for sale for residential use (or other proposed acceptable use).
The property will be sold subject , inter alia, to the draft covenants set out in these particulars.
The property is to be sold for the use, layout and design consented by the planning permissions granted by Huntingdonshire District Council on 2nd April 2025. Copies of the consented plans are available to download on Huntingdonshire District Council's planning portal.
Any change from the existing planning permissions will be subject to the Church Commissioners' approval of all architectural plans. In addition, planning permission for the proposed change of use and listed building consent for any alterations to the property must be in place before the completion of the sale.
The property is to be sold subject to contract and proof of funding will be required to demonstrate ability to purchase the property and complete the conversion scheme.
The Commissioners do not bind themselves to accept the highest (or any) offer.
8. The reservation by the Transferor of:-
[a] rights of pedestrian passage at all times over the land marked A-B-C-D on the sale plan dividing the two areas of public access land to be excluded from the sale.
[b] all exiting rights of drainage in respect of its retained land.

DRAFT COVENANTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SALE

(i) As provided by section 75(1) of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 the following covenants on the part of the Transferee shall be enforceable as if the Transferor were the owner of adjacent land and the covenants were expressed to be entered into for the benefit of that adjacent land and (in the case of covenants of a positive nature) as if they were negative.

(ii) The burden of the following covenants is intended to bind and binds each and every part of the property into whosesoever hands it may come.

(iii) A covenant not to do any act or thing includes an obligation not to permit or suffer that act or thing to be done by another person.

The Transferee [jointly and severally] covenants with the Transferor:-

(aa) Not to use the property for any purpose other than residential use [or other approved use] and ancillary purposes;
(bb) Not to use the property for any illegal or immoral purpose or for any purpose which may be or become a nuisance annoyance or disturbance to the Transferor or which shall (in the opinion of at least two of the following: the bishop for the time being of the diocese in which the property is situated, the dean for the time being of the cathedral which is the seat of the bishop and the archdeacon for the time being of the archdeaconry in which the Property is situated) be offensive to the principles and practice of the Christian faith;

(cc) Not to permit or allow use of the property for the solemnization of marriages under section 26(1)(bb) of the Marriage Act 1949 or as a place at which two people may register as civil partners of each other under section 6 of the Civil Partnerships Act 2004 or under any other legislation for the time being in force amending or replacing the said Acts;

(dd) To give access at reasonable times to all persons wishing to visit or tend particular graves in the property, provided such persons have made prior written application to the Transferee and to keep unobstructed by undergrowth overgrowth rubbish or other obstacles the access to any grave;
(ee) To ensure the maintenance in a prominent position of a notice board indicating that the property is now used for the purpose stated in sub-clause (aa) and displaying the conditions of access for people wishing to visit or tend particular graves in the property;
(ff) Not to disturb any human remains interred in the property;
(gg) Not to damage any tombstone monument or memorial in the property nor, without the Transferor's consent, to remove or disturb any such;
(hh) Not to demolish any building nor to erect any new or additional structure or building on the property;
(ii) Not to make any architectural or structural changes (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any alteration to or the removal of any stained glass) in any building on the property except in accordance with plans previously submitted to and approved in writing by the Transferor;
(jj) Within three years of the date of the transfer to carry out and complete to the satisfaction of the Transferor's surveyor the works shown on the plans numbered [plan numbers/references to be inserted before completion of the sale] already submitted to and approved in writing by the Transferor;
(kk) To give access at reasonable times and on reasonable notice to the Transferor's surveyor to enable him to inspect the works undertaken by the Transferee in accordance with these covenants;
(ll) Within 4 months of the completion of the transfer, the transferee shall erect temporary trespass-proof fencing with access gates along the boundaries marked with "T"s inwards on the sale plan;
(mm) On completion of the conversion of the building, the transferee will be responsible for the future repair, maintenance and replacement of approved stock-proof fences and gates along the boundaries marked with "T"s inwards on the sale plan.

The Agents for themselves and for the owner of this property hereby give notice that: (1) These particulars do not in any way constitute an offer or a contract; (2) Any intending purchasers/tenants must not rely on the statements made in these particulars as representations of fact, but must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to their correctness as they are made without acceptance of any responsibility on the part of the Agents or the owner; (3) No representation whatever in relation to this property is made or given by the Agents or the owner, nor has any person in their employment any authority to make or give any such representation or warranty.