Construction of Chichester Carmelite Convent at Hunston, began in August 1870 and the first nuns moved in on 28th April 1872. The Convent remained unaltered until 1930 when as a result of a legacy, the chapel was built.
In the 1990's, numbers started dwindling and the remaining nuns, finding the Convent too big, knew decisions had to be made. A buyer for the Convent was found and on 8th September 1994, six nuns left the Convent for their new home at Sclerder in Cornwall. 3 nuns remained until Christmas and they then joined their sisters in Sclerder.
The Convent was then converted into accommodation for housing farm workers which carried on until 2007.
On 28th June 2009, an arson attack virtually destroyed the chapel.
In 2014, it was announced that Chichester Free School would be moving into the Convent and in February 2017, buildings work commenced.
The images opposite are just a small selection of a portfolio documenting the Convent following years of lying empty and prior to it's transformation into a new school.
Extensive work into the history of the Convent and it's nun's has been undertaken by Richard North a writer, broadcaster and commentator.
Richard's attention to detail makes his findings a particularly fascinating read.