How a former Leeds businessman and author turned a tiny chapel into a luxury home with unique features he designed himself

WHEN Rodney Cam’s wife Janice convinced him to downsize from their ten-bed mansion complete with indoor swimming pool to a small converted chapel near Otley, he wasn’t convinced. But seven years on, after adding a sympathetic extension and designing much of the interiors himself, the 82-year-old is glad to call Chapel House home.
The rear of the home of Rodney and Janice Cam - Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, The couple have extended and restored features of the original chapel, photographed for The Yorkshire Post Magazine by Tony Johnson.The rear of the home of Rodney and Janice Cam - Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, The couple have extended and restored features of the original chapel, photographed for The Yorkshire Post Magazine by Tony Johnson.
The rear of the home of Rodney and Janice Cam - Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, The couple have extended and restored features of the original chapel, photographed for The Yorkshire Post Magazine by Tony Johnson.

Rodney, a retired civil engineer, is no stranger to renovating properties. He did up a cottage the couple lived in in Northowram and ended up in former mill owner’s mansion, Thorne Dene in Calvelry where he was instrumental in adding an indoor swimming pool extension. They lived there for more 30 years before Janice decided it was time they moved.

"I loved Thorne dene and I wasn’t ever going to leave but I came under severe pressure (from Janice) to move and we’ve been here seven years and I hate to admit it but the pressure was right,” says Rodney whose initial thoughts were the three-bed chapel was too small for them.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"The chapel was built originally in 1900 and then it was altered in 1980 to become a dwelling house and he made a beautiful job of it. All the pitch pine pews had been cut up and made into the internal doors and they are beautfil and work like a treat, The joinery work was first class.

Rodney and Janice Cam in their home of seven years Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, The couple have extended and restored features of the original chapel, photographed for The Yorkshire Post Magazine by Tony Johnson.Rodney and Janice Cam in their home of seven years Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, The couple have extended and restored features of the original chapel, photographed for The Yorkshire Post Magazine by Tony Johnson.
Rodney and Janice Cam in their home of seven years Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, The couple have extended and restored features of the original chapel, photographed for The Yorkshire Post Magazine by Tony Johnson.

"We’d driven past it a few times, as I was under press, and I kept saying its not big enough. But then we came to look and it’s a bit like the Tardis inside. The only that was wrong was that the kitchen was very small and my wife loves to cook and entertain,” says Rodney who decided to extend the chapel as sympathetically as possible.

“Lee Hudson, a former employee of mine who’d formed his own building company in Wakefield after we closed down said he wanted to build it. He came and we did a deal.”

A close friend from Leeds who was an architect helped him come up with a design to add a side and front extension.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I made sure I would copy the original chapel so we have the same stone, the skate roof has the same pitch and we have replicated the shape of the chapel windows through out.”The original chapel windows have been included in the rear elevation of what is now a bespoke kitchen perfect for entertaining with view out of a stunning garden and the views beyond. An arched glass door – once again designed by Rodney and especially made in Cambridge – goes from the Farrow and Ball painted kitchen through into an orangery – the couple refer to as the ‘ginery’. There an old church pew from Bristol bought from Ebay forms seating for the extendable dining tables.

The single storey extension in the home of Rodney and Janice Cam - Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, Made mainly in oak to replicate the 100 year old chapel windowsThe single storey extension in the home of Rodney and Janice Cam - Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, Made mainly in oak to replicate the 100 year old chapel windows
The single storey extension in the home of Rodney and Janice Cam - Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, Made mainly in oak to replicate the 100 year old chapel windows

The orangery is made of oak bought from an oak manufacturer in Worcester which is gradually turning black. “I visited the factory and there were joiners making the joints not just someone putting a piece of wood in one end of a machine and it coming out complete at the other end. He didn’t want to put the arches in but I wanted them to fit in with the rest of the chapel.”

Both Rodney and Janice, an accomplished artist, are very creative and their flare can be seen throughout the property.

“We are into conservation and art, an amalgamation of colours and use of colour and we like furniture,” says Rodney who has been integral in the design of a lot of the furniture in the chapel, made for him by joiner Philip Dobbins, the rest they picked up from auctions and some came from Thorne Dene.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Philip had a dining table in a barn which he’d had for 26 years as the customer didn’t come back for it, but Rodney didn’t like the Queen Anne legs and so designed new ones which Philip made. He also designed the chairs which have a distinctly ecclesiastical feel with arched backs.

The view from the kitchen into the oak framed 'ginery'The view from the kitchen into the oak framed 'ginery'
The view from the kitchen into the oak framed 'ginery'

He and Janice worked together to design the side board and chest in the dining room which have a distinctly art deco feel and made in a variety of woods.

The couple’s love of art deco can also be seen in the cosy sitting room where an ornate 1920s clock with a figure believed to be that of dancer Josephine Baker, adorns the mantle piece above a more modern but economical log-burner.

"I bought the clock from an antiques fair in Newark and it had a mechanical centre which eventually started to pack in and so I decided to put an electric motor in. It looks the same but it works.” More of Rodney’s sculptures can be found here alongside more traditional Victorian furniture.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Up stairs are two good sized bedrooms, a box room and office. The front of the chapel looks onto Otley Chevin and the piece is only disturbed but the odd passing tractor as it is on a deadend.

The kitchen in Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, was added to the original  chapel built in 1900 seven years agophotographed for The Yorkshire Post Magazine by Tony Johnson.  30th July 2024The kitchen in Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, was added to the original  chapel built in 1900 seven years agophotographed for The Yorkshire Post Magazine by Tony Johnson.  30th July 2024
The kitchen in Chapel House, in the hamlet of Clifton near Otley, was added to the original chapel built in 1900 seven years agophotographed for The Yorkshire Post Magazine by Tony Johnson. 30th July 2024

Rodney’s company was the first to pave central Leeds including Albion Street and around the courts, he also had a restaurant and builders merchants in Bridling and Selby. So when he came to retire Janice was keen to keep him busy and so enrolled him on a bronze casting course at Bradford University, which he ended up loving. Examples of his work can be seen throughout his home. He also loves to restore and then sell old cars, he’s done 16 so far – even building the wooden garage where does the restoration work, he also does talks.

A well known member of the Round Table and Rotary, Rodney has written two autobiographical books about growing up in pubs in and around Leeds up to nearly the present day, despite being severely dyslexic. All proceeds from the books go to the British Heart Foundation after he needed a quadruple heart bypass when he was 50. Then, in 2008, doctors discovered an issue with his heart rhythm and he was fitted with an ICD. This is a small device that has been surgically implanted into his chest which detects and corrects life-threatening heart rhythms.

“The first book, the Landlord’s son raised £1,500 I want to make sure the second one From Hear to Maturity raises even more,” says Rodney.

From Here to Maturity by Rodney Cam is available from Waterstones in Leeds and can be ordered from other book shops

Related topics:
News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice