New nunnery – nearly there!

The project started with a new extension. We used pre-fabricated insulated panels...

...it's a very quick, and cost efficient way to build a house.

The extension is now finished and some of the sisters have already moved in.

The original farmhouse...

...with the extension on the right.

A glass conservatory will be added soon.

Thick insulation was added to the external walls.

With a bit of luck, all the nuns will be able to move in by March 2012.

uilding a new home for the nuns has been a fairly epic project. The first stage was simple; a timber framed extension to the existing farmhouse, put up in a matter of weeks. The second stage has proven to be a lot more complex. The nun’s old home was a rickety old farmhouse in a very sorry state of repair, yet its vernacular front was protected under planning law.

To make best use of the existing building we had first to set it on solid foundations. The problem was that there weren’t any foundations on which to build! We had to dig two metres beneath the walls, to set the structure on a bed of solid concrete. As you can imagine, this was no simple task.

The house has been very thoroughly insulated – recycled wood pulp panels have been fixed to the outside, thus preventing heat loss through the walls. All heating and hot water is provided by a high efficiency wood burner that means, in effect, we have free heating for life (as we have no shortage of firewood at Skanda Vale).

We hope to have a houseful of happy nuns by March 2012.

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