AFTER years of uncertainty, Stanbrook Abbey has finally been put on the market.

Worcester estate agent Andrew Grant has confirmed the monastery, in Callow End, near Worcester, is for sale and it is looking at offers over £6m.

The estate agent's owner, Andrew Grant, said: "It could be used as some sort of institute, educational centre or perhaps a care home.

"We sold a similar property, Rhydd Court, near Hanley Castle, last year. It went for over £2m.

"News of the sale has spread very quickly and we hope to have the brochure out by today."

The order of Benedictine nuns who have lived at the abbey since 1838 announced their plans to move more than three years ago.

It was felt that the 19th Century building was too big for the community of 24 sisters. They will instead move to a purpose-built monastery on farmland at Wass, in the North Yorkshire National Park.

Mother Abbess Joanna Jamieson had said previously: "I don't think it could be more different from Callow End if we tried. There are two hills on the farm. One has the former farmhouses on it and we want to build a monastery on the other one, one big enough for a community of 30 nuns."

The Andrew Grant sales literature describes the ancient site as a "monastery and associated buildings redevelopment opportunity".

Residents of Callow End have expressed concern that the village will be harmed by large-scale housing or industrial development on the 21-acre area.

At a Powick parish council meeting in October, a bid to build a private hospital on the site was revealed.

The firm involved was not named but a company representative said they would not make any modifications other than squaring off one of the cloisters by building a fourth side on to it.