A convent put on the market by its religious order is facing a very different future incarnation.

The religious retreat, known as St Benedict's, is based at Number One Manor Road in Kemp Town, Brighton, close to Brighton College and the property hotspots of Sussex Square and Lewes Crescent.

The grand 1906 building has its own chapel and is built on a 1.6 acre plot of land.

It was bought by an International Religious Order of Sisters, known as Grace and Compassion Benedictines in 1994 and has been a retreat and living quarter for nuns for the past nine years.

But in today's world of plummeting vocational numbers the nuns have decided to sell the convent, thought to be worth between three and five million pounds.

They've insisted they will take important things with them including a stained glass window from the chapel. But the buildings themselves may be demolished and the site used for anything ranging from a leisure centre to a hotel.

The site went on the market last Tuesday. It consists of two main buildings called St Augustine's and Villa Maria, the chapel with its own self-contained flat and a residential building called The Hermitage with its own garden.

The plot, which currently has no planning permission, is a blank canvas for dramatic redevelopment through chartered surveyors Ross & Co based in Hailsham who are expecting to receive offers of several million pounds for the land.

Possible fates for the house include a leisure centre, a hotel, shops and a nursing home.

Staff from Ross & Co have been in communication with Brighton and Hove City Council over the issue.

Rosemary Ross of Ross & Co said: "Recent discussions with the council reveal they may consider the site has an element of community facility.

It could be a residential or commercial development. We've had interest from a range of places."

She added that a successful bid may well see the convent demolished altogether to make way for a new-build on the land.

A member of the Elm Grove Community of Benedictine's said: "The nuns needed to sell St Benedict's because of falling numbers.

"The sisters will now concentrate on their work helping the sick and the dying through the second convent in Preston Park."

The Benedictine spiritual movement has a long history in Brighton and owns several prime location properties.

St Mary's, the Preston Park convent, is also thought to be worth millions of pounds and the order owns smaller buildings on Elm Grove.

Ms Ross said: "The nuns will use the money from the sale of St Benedict's to reinvest in their spiritual work. They not only work around Brighton but are also keen to extend the work they do in their hospices in Kenya."

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