AN historic convent near Malvern went up for sale this week with a price tag of at least £6 million.

Stanbrook Abbey, at Callow End, has been home to a community of Benedictine nuns since 1838, with its tower a familiar landmark.

The community decided in 2002 to seek a new home that was smaller and cheaper to run.

But it was not until September this year that a planning application was granted for a new monastery in North Yorkshire.

Now the Gothic abbey, a Grade I listed building set in 40 acres of grounds, has gone on the market.

Estate agent Andrew Grant said: "We're interested in offers over £6 million. The Abbey would be suitable for some sort of institutional use, such as a care village, subject to planning consent, of course."

He said there have already been inquiries by interested parties.

The buildings include the convent itself, the abbey church designed by Edward Welby Pugin, the old hall and the presbytery.

District councillor Tom Wells, who lives in Callow End, said: "It's vital that any new use protects the Abbey buildings and is compatible with its location in the heart of the village."

Because of the site's sensitivity, the nuns commissioned a conservation plan from an architectural historian, who consulted bodies such as English Heritage and the Pugin Society.

The plan is intended to guide future users as to what must be preserved and the areas where sensitive redevelopment may be permitted.

The abbey community had become renowned for its literary and artistic interests, including the Abbey Press, the oldest private press in the country. It also contains one of the country's largest private libraries, with 60,000 books.