Bats in your own belfry

Winter floods need never bother the buyer of Gothic Gipsy Tower, in Gipsy Hill, near Dulwich,

The quirky, 120ft Victorian Gothic tower is all that remains of an 1861 church designed by John Giles, which was destroyed by arsonists in 1984. Eleven years later, the still-standing tower was converted to a four-storey 3,500sq ft home that is the only "castle church" single dwelling in London.

Its listing means that the tower retains a strong Gothic flavour, including liberally scattered stone arches and gargoyles.

The accommodation includes a drawing room, library, music room, master bedroom with en-suite, three additional bedrooms, main bathroom, kitchen/dining area, reception areas and a castellated roof terrace. With a spiral stair to the top, Gipsy tower would suit a fit family, although there is also an eight-person lift.

For that final touch, while the belfry has been shorn of bells, the working tower clock is powered by a superb 1887 mechanism that stands in its own room.