With more than 100 bedrooms,37 sitting
rooms,50 bathrooms and four on-site chapels,it is little wonder
the 17 residents are looking for something a little smaller. Nuns On The Run After 145 Years
As properties go,it has to be the second most impressive in the Royal town of Windsor.
With more than 100 bedrooms,37 sitting
rooms,50 bathrooms and four on-site chapels,it is little wonder
the 17 residents are looking for something a little smaller.
Estate agents are now hoping for offers
of more than £10 million for the Convent of St Johns,located
less than three miles from the Queen's Berkshire home.
The few remaining nuns who live there have already started to gather their belongings from the 310 rooms and acres of attic space to move to a smaller place in Oxfordshire.
Their departure,marking the end of an era lasting more than 145 years,leave the convent a prime target for developers.
Planners envisage all range of uses for the huge site,subject to protecting the character of the listed building.
A hotel or a health centre as part of a
mixed use scheme,residential school or college and even a musem
are just some of the favoured options.
The convent itself comprises a series of inter-linking Victorian buildings arranged principally over ground and two upper floor under a pitch slate tiled roof.
The main chapel,dated 1881 and grade II listed,is constructed
of an impressive scale with a wealth of intricate decoration,as
are the two smaller ones set nearby. 
Estate agent Emma Cleugh said "We anticipate a great deal of interest,not only from the UK,but also from international buyers.It will appeal far and wide.
"The site has considerable development potential in the form of both conversion and new build.We are seeking offers in excess of £10million."
The Order traces its roots back to 1849 when Marquita Tennant undertook the care of 'penitents' in her home near the present buildings.
The sisters,whose numbers have dwindled to around two dozen both in America and Windsor,have bought a smaller place in Oxfordshire to carry on the work of the order.
Mother Jane,the mother superior,said
"We are presently busy clearing the attics of 140 years of
debris.
"We decided some time ago it was time we left this very large building,and its expensive upkeep,to move to a smaller house.
"Of course we are sad to be leaving,but at the same time excited about the challenge ahead."
She said when the convent really thrived there were more than 300 sisters there but that number has now fallen to just 17.