Eco-Convent in North York Moors:

New 'green convent' for Benedictine nuns


Nuns arrive at eco-convent and leave behind high-carbon habit
announced the Guardian. The picture of the nuns of the Conventus of Our Lady of Consolation leaving their old abbey with its stained glass windows and cathedral ceilings was stark next to the picture of the new flat roofed convent with clear windows located in the North York Moors national park. Monastery living has indeed moved into a new era for these Benedictine nuns as they take on this new challenge to live a life in a more ecologically responsible way.

Green features in the new facilities include:

Rainwater harvesting tank

solar panels to provide hot water

woodchip boiler fueled by locally-sourced trees

roof covered in sedum grass to better insulate the buildings and attract local wildlife.

a reedbed sewage system - effluent from the monastery will filter through the reedbed and, after it is processed through natural anaerobic digestion

low energy light fittings

'passive' main drainage'

'A' rated appliances

There is still much word to be done as only Phase I is complete, according to their website. The new facilities are a vast improvement environmentally over their old quarters in Victorian Stanbrook Abbey, in Worcestershire, where they were spending an excess amount of money and time maintaining the older building with its large halls and an oil and gas heating systems.

This note is posted on their website: Unfortunately, as much as we would like to, we cannot afford to build the new monastery in one go. For this reason, we must phase the building. On 18 June 2007, work began on phase one and, as funds become available, we will build on

Phase two: the church

Phase three: the library

Phase four: guest accomodation

Plans for the new facilities can be found on their website (link below):

Become a Friend of Stanbrook Abbey (click here)


Guardian article: New 'green convent' for the Benedictine nuns of the Conventus of Our Lady of Consolation


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