Stanbrook Abbey, a sustainable monastery

Churches worldwide are not just showing off their commitment to a religious life but also decreasing their carbon footprint. One such community believes that “It's part of Christian spirituality to respect the environment."

Founded in 1625, Stanbrook Abbey has a long history that includes the oldest private printing press in England and home to the Benedictine nuns of Conventus of Our Lady of Consolation. In recent years, the Sisters found their numbers declining and a cavernous building tough to manage. Mother Abbess Andrea said, “We were spending too much time trying to look after the building and pay the bills. Now we’re looking to the future and taking monastic life into the 21st century.” Their plan was to scale down not only the size but the environmental impact of the monastery.

The £4.7m complex is green in more ways than one since it’s located inside a national park. The gothic architecture of the previous monastery was ditched in favor of a more modern, almost university dorm look. Features include solar panels to heat water, a rainwater harvester for laundry and toilets, and a woodchip boiler. A sedum roof was added to attract bees, butterflies, and birds.

When the construction of initial phase was complete they ad a monumental task ahead of them because Stanbrook Abbey hadn’t moved in over 150 years. The Victorian complex housed thousands of books and over five tons of furniture that had to be dealt with before the transition. Instead of throwing these items in a dumpster the Abbey had a boot sale, also known as a garage sale stateside, that netted them £10,000.

Sure, the price tag for the monastery is steep but look at the numbers. They occupied their last home for over almost 200 years and had hundreds of women call it home. The Benedictine Sisters prove that being green has been around longer than we thought. Frugal ideas like conserving energy, selling your unwanted stuff, or simply living within your means were never “green” at the time. They were just sensible ways spend less, use less, and invest in the future.