Victorian antiquarian’s wild Gothic fantasy selling for giant discount

A castle fit for Count Dracula is on the market for the price of a small Sydney apartment. 

The imposing stone folly is in the historic seaside town of Sidmouth in Devon, England. 

It might look like a medieval manor, but the Old Chancel was actually built less than 200 years ago by a Victorian antiquarian, Peter Orlando Hutchinson. 

Hutchinson was said to be a brilliant thinker whose interests ranged from history to botany, stonecarving, music and even telephone poles.

In 1860, he was appalled when the local parish decided to virtually demolish their small mediaeval church and build a larger one in its place. 

Desperate to save as much of the original building as possible, Hutchinson bought the chancel, which is a part of a church near the altar, and moved it to his own garden. 

He built a grand Gothic-style house around the chancel from ancient local stones, and added stained glass and buttressing to give the home a historic feel. 

Many years have passed since Hutchinson built the house, but the grandeur of his original vision remains. 

The home is filled with wooden panelling, carved fireplaces, chandeliers and candle sconces, giving it a dark, theatrical look. 

A coat of armor is all that is missing to make it feel like a medieval lord’s great hall.

The Old Chancel first hit the market in June 2024 with a price tag of £1.1 million ($2.22 million). 

Since then, the property has seen a number of price cuts. 

The guide price was slashed earlier this week to just £500,000 ($1 million), less than half the original sum. 

It’s the same cost as a small unit on a main road in Sydney, or a three-bedroom terrace in Melbourne. 

The Old Chancel will go to online auction on 16 January 2026.