The Victorian Society has joined the fight to protect Stanbrook Abbey from damaging residential development.

The monastery in Callow End, home to an order of Benedictine nuns, is being offered for sale and is expected to fetch around £6 million.

The society is calling for the abbey, one of Worcestershire's architectural gems, to be given a listed building status that would rank it among the top 10 percent of Britain's historic buildings.

There has been a delay in getting the abbey listed since experts first agreed its architectural significance in 2004. This is due to a change in the process, resulting in a backlog of buildings waiting to be considered.

Meanwhile, a decision is due in April on an appeal arising from the district council's local plan. This could result in the 21 acres of abbey grounds being re-classified for residential use and included within the Callow End settlement boundary.

According to Victorian Society spokeswoman Ann Morgan, English Heritage has already been approached by developers with tentative plans for the site.

English Heritage and the Victorian Society would like to see the abbey remain as some kind of residential religious institution and regard full-scale residential development as the worst possible option.

"It would damage the tranquil beauty of the abbey," said Ms Morgan.

The abbey buildings are not currently listed and the Pugin chapel only has Grade II status.

The Benedictine order, which has been at the abbey since 1838, has planning permission to build a modest modern monastery on land in North Yorkshire suitable for monastic life in the 21st Century.

Sister Anna, from the order, said they had not received any offers for the abbey.

Twenty-four nuns currently live at Stanbrook and would move to temporary accommodation if the abbey was sold before their new monastery is finished.