Most people can’t wait until they are old enough to leave school, but John Martin and his wife Lucy couldn’t wait to go back after buying an old Victorian school at an auction.

John, a carpenter by trade, bought the building from Worcester Council in 2000 for £80,000 at an auction and immediately saw the potential to convert it into a spacious family home.

The Kidderminster property, which was built in 1850 and had also been used as a convent for the neighbouring church, had been left empty since the school moved to a new location.

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John said: “We had it as a blank canvas. When we bought it, you couldn’t open the door for mail. It was as if they’d locked the doors and never come back. It was eerie.”

But the couple immediately began work on the building, stripping off the industrial carpets to reveal the original tiles and timber floors, rewiring the walls and installing traditional-style fittings to reflect the house’s Victorian character.

The old boy’s toilet downstairs was converted into a utility room and the school’s staff kitchen became their own dining kitchen.

And upstairs, the classrooms were converted into five large bedrooms, two with en-suites, and a separate bathroom.

After they moved in the following year, John began work on a triple garage and walled garden, which is accessible through an archway off the road.

Having finished this project, John and his wife Lucy are hoping to raise funds for their new one – a barn conversion nearby.

But they leave with a heavy heart. John said: “It’s wonderful. We’ve lived there for ten years and we’ve loved every minute of it.”

The property is on the market for £275,000 with Andrew Grant. For more information, visit www.andrew-grant.co.uk or call 01562 60228.

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