Last Marketed in 1896, Now Guided Above £850,000: A Cornish Diocese Sells Its Grand Old Vicarage

• The Diocese of Truro is selling the Old Vicarage at 24 Chapel Street, Penzance
• The Grade II* listed house was built in 1701 and last sold in 1896
• The guide price was more than £850,000, with tenders due on April 9
• The vicar had moved to modern housing, leaving the house empty for two years

A Grade II* listed vicarage in the heart of Penzance has been put on the market by the Church of England for the first time since 1896, the Penzance Voice reported in February 2025. The Old Vicarage at 24 Chapel Street was built in 1701 and is being sold by the Diocese of Truro.

The three-storey house keeps period features including ornate ceilings, wood panelling, classical columns and a central spiral staircase. It had been empty for two years after the diocese moved the vicar to more modern housing.

A diocesan spokesperson described the property as part of “a generation of large grand clergy residences that are no longer appropriate for modern parish ministry”. The diocese concluded that its listed status, the difficulty of conversion, the high cost of modernising and conservation-area restrictions made other uses impractical for parish and community partners.

The guide price was more than £850,000, with a formal tender deadline of April 9, handled by Lillicrap Chilcott. Director Andrew Chilcott said: “It’s a lovely opportunity for someone who wants to restore a fine period house in an excellent location.”

Clergy housing is one of the biggest property holdings any church has, and the Penzance sale shows how its value can outlast its usefulness. Large historic houses are expensive to heat and repair, while clergy need practical homes. Churches in Jamaica managing rectories and manses face the same choice between keeping heritage houses and swapping them for smaller homes, freeing capital for ministry. For buyers, a listed vicarage is a restoration project with conservation rules attached.

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