The Nave, St Bartholomew's Church, Ruswarp, Whitby, North Yorkshire

Reference Number GC 0175 : . The Nave is far more than a conventional four-bedroom home. It is a remarkable piece of Victorian architecture that has been given a new life as a family home while retaining the character, craftsmanship and sense of occasion of St Bartholomew's providing a spacious and beautifully appointed contemporary home in a stunning location.

An exceptional four-bedroom Grade II listed church conversion combining dramatic Victorian architecture with beautifully considered contemporary living, private gardens and parking, just minutes from Whitby and the North Yorkshire coast.

The Nave forms part of the historic St Bartholomew's Church in the heart of the village of Ruswarp and represents a rare opportunity to own a genuinely individual home. Dating back more than 150 years and sensitively converted in 2025, the property retains the scale, character and craftsmanship of the original building while providing the comfort, specification and practicality expected of a modern family home.

Original stained-glass and leaded windows, carved stonework, soaring ceilings and dramatic double-height spaces have been carefully incorporated into the design, creating an extraordinary sense of light and volume throughout.

The impressive entrance is through the original substantial church doors into a generous lobby and entrance hall, where a magnificent carved-stone leaded window and contemporary glazed staircase immediately set the tone for the rest of the property.

At the heart of the home is the superb open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. The bespoke fitted kitchen centres around a substantial island and offers extensive storage, generous preparation space and a comprehensive range of integrated appliances.

Alongside, the generous dining and living areas sit beneath one of the church's magnificent original stained-glass windows, providing a spectacular architectural backdrop to both everyday family life and entertaining.

A separate snug provides a more intimate second reception space and could equally lend itself to a variety of uses. Three sets of glazed French doors connect the principal ground-floor living spaces directly with the enclosed rear garden, creating an excellent relationship between the house and outside space.

A useful utility room and guest WC complete the ground-floor accommodation. The property benefits from underfloor heating supplied by an air-source heat pump system, combining modern comfort with an efficient approach to heating this historic building.

The first floor provides three well-proportioned bedrooms together with a stylish and modern family shower room. Bedroom Two also benefits from its own walk-in wardrobe area, while the third bedroom offers excellent flexibility as a guest bedroom, children's room or dedicated home office.

The magnificent staircase continues to the second floor, which is devoted to an exceptional principal suite and provides a wonderfully private retreat from the rest of the house.

The principal bedroom is exceptionally generous, with views towards the stained glass and additional natural light from roof windows. It leads to a substantial walk-in wardrobe - dressing area and an fabulous luxury en-suite bathroom featuring exposed timbers, a freestanding bath, separate shower and contemporary fittings.

Throughout the upper floors, carefully retained voids and views through the building preserve the dramatic proportions of the original church and create a sense of openness rarely found in a conventional home.

Outside, The Nave is approached from Ruswarp High Street via a shared driveway, with off-road parking. To the rear is a large enclosed private garden, directly accessible from the kitchen, living/dining area and snug, providing an attractive and practical outdoor space for entertaining and family life.

Location

Ruswarp is an attractive and thriving village in the Esk Valley, surrounded by the countryside of the North York Moors and approximately two miles from the coast. The village offers a range of everyday amenities, while the historic harbour town of Whitby, with its famous Abbey, harbour, restaurants, shops and beaches, is around a ten-minute drive away.

The combination of village life, spectacular surrounding countryside and easy access to Whitby and the Yorkshire coast makes this an outstanding location for both permanent living and those seeking a distinctive home in one of North Yorkshire's most desirable areas.

So what can you expect from this beautifully designed family home ?

Entrance Hall ( 9.0m x 2m )

A really grand entrance thought he massive church doors into a large impressive hallway with carved stone leaded window which allows light to flood in. The hallway gives access to all floors of the house via an impressive glazed stairway.

Kitchen Diner. ( 7.3m x 6.1m )

A beautiful bespoke kitchen with large island and plenty of cupboard and work surface space to suit the fussiest chef along with a range of integral quality appliances would do for family meals or entertaining the hordes at gatherings or parties. The dining area - living space is remarkable and the imposing stained glass window adds a real focal point for meals and gatherings. As a bonus you have patio doors leading to the enclosed rear garden 

Further down the hallway and lit by a huge carved stone Leaded Window you have

The Snug ( 5m x 3.8m )

Another lovely room to relax with patio door leading to the enclosed rear garden 

Ground Floor Wc ( 2.4m x 1m )

Attractively tiled and fitted with Wc and Sink Unit

Utility Room ( 2.5m x 2.0m )

Housing the Water Tank it can be adapted into a perfect utility area or storage the choice is yours.

From the entrance hall an imposing  glazed staircase takes you to the first floor 

First Floor Bathroom ( 3.1m x 1.5m )

Beautifully set up with attractive tiling, vanity sink with lit mirror above, Wc and a large glazed walk in shower.

Bedroom 1 ( 3.8m x 3.1m )  Dressing Area ( 3.8m x 3.4m )

Really clever use of space giving a good size sleeping area with a fantastic view of the stained glass window and also with a carved stone leaded window. The dressing area is a real bonus.

Bedroom 2 ( 4.8m X 2.8m ) 

As with the other bedrooms you have space and light with the carved stone Leaded Window light floods in

Bedroom 3 ( 3.9m x 3.7m )

Overlooking the rear garden, Light bright and spacious

Another flight of stairs lit by the light flooding in from the carved stone leaded window it takes you to the second floor and gives access to the  highlight of the bedroom accommodation 

The Master Bedroom Suite ( 5.2m x 4.2m )

The master suite is quite frankly the size that most apartments  offer. From your bed you have a great view of the stained glass window, two further roof windows allow lot's of light in. Its space allows for a range of furniture and again it could be the perfect haven after a stressful day.

Dressing Area ( 3.8m x 3.6m )

Again with enough space for the most ardent collector of clothes it is a huge space

Luxury Bathroom Suite ( 3.8m x 3.3m )

The final icing on the cake is this spacious modern magnificent luxury bathroom with wooden beams delightful tiling and top of the range equipment it offers you a tranquil place to bathe or shower.

The freestanding bath sits in the bathroom ready for a luxurious soak with a few candles and a glass of wine. Don't fancy a bath then how about the Jack and Jill style shower available. The lighting adds a real ambience to the room and to be honest you would probably struggle to leave its so nice.

A private driveway takes you from Ruswarp High Street to the Nave and there are parking spaces available plus a large peaceful enclosed garden linked to the kitchen - dining room via patio doors to enjoy the outdoor experience when the weather is kind.