Monastery, century-long home to nuns, listed for sale at £3 million

A monastery that has served as the residence for an order of nuns for over a hundred years is now on the market with an asking price of £3 million. Known as The Carmel of the Holy Spirit, located near Sheffield, the property features numerous bedrooms and encompasses an area exceeding 21,500 square feet (2,000 sq m). The choice to sell arose because the nine remaining nuns found themselves responsible for the upkeep of the 28-bedroom Victorian estate, which incurs annual heating expenses of £30,000. The resident nuns express a desire for the site to be acquired by another religious organization; however, the estate agent overseeing the transaction indicated its potential conversion into a leisure facility, such as a hotel or a holiday camp. The structure, locally referred to as Kirk Edge Convent, occupies 18 acres and is situated outside Sheffield, adjacent to the village of Bradfield and in proximity to the Peak District National Park. Stephen Goff, the agent responsible for marketing the property, described its setting as a “highly desirable location.” He stated his expectation for the sale price to be near the £3 million threshold. “There isn’t another one to go and buy and it’s got such a spread of potential.” “What stands out for me is the sheer size and beauty of the stonework and original house; such beautiful stone detail, it’s really something.” Erected in the 1800s, the edifice was initially conceived as an orphanage before being converted into an industrial school for girls. The Duke of Norfolk, whose sister was a Carmelite nun, gifted it to the religious order in 1910. The sisters have resided there continuously since that time, and due to the Carmelites being a closed order—implying the nuns maintain strict separation from the external world to pursue a contemplative life of prayer—minimal modernization has occurred. “It’s quite basic but there is a lot of it,” Mr Goff commented. “The Carmelites’ main drive is for another religious organisation to want it for fair value – that’s their wish and I am in communication with a few.” Nevertheless, he mentioned having also received expressions of interest from developers and a leisure organization. “We’re just gathering interest and finance ability at the moment though before people come to have a look round.” The Association of British Carmels announced that the remaining nuns are to be relocated to one of its other Carmels within the UK. The president of the order described the situation as a “difficult time for the sisters, who are busy preparing to leave.” Mr Goff expressed his hope that they would be settled in more contemporary buildings. “It’s emotional but they understand why it’s happening – it’s due to their age and the small number who live there.” “They do all the cooking and cleaning so with only a few of them left, it’s a lot of work.” Any funds generated from the sale are designated for investment in the order’s other holdings. Mr Goff mentioned having met the nine remaining nuns on multiple occasions. “They’re all lovely with a witty sense of humour so meetings with them are great,” he remarked. “They’re open to explaining about the Carmelites so it’s an education for me too.” He stated that each nun received both digital and physical copies of professional photographs of the monastery. “It was their home after all,” he concluded.