‘It was very derelict’: journey to restore former convent cottage into best-in-class home

After nearly two decades as custodians of one of Arrowtown’s most historic homes, Kath and Alan Jenkins are preparing to pass on a place that has shaped their lives in ways neither expected.

The former convent at 21 Anglesea Street has stood since the 1870s, first as a tiny schist cottage for the town’s magistrate, later as a home for the Little Sisters of the Poor, and more recently as a painstaking restoration project that the couple describe as both a challenge and a privilege.

When they first walked through the door, the house was in a sorry state. “It was a very derelict, old cottage, which had been lovely, but was anything but lovely,” Alan says. “We thought, oh, let’s give it a go, and how beautifully it turned out.”

Kath still remembers the shock of it. “It had greenery growing up the inside walls and decayed floors. Our son-in-law at the time said we should have bowled it, but we just couldn’t do that. We felt we had to restore it so that maybe it could last another 100, 200 years.”

They moved into three small rooms for 18 months while they worked out how the house lived through the seasons.

Architect Michael Wyatt drew up the restoration and extension plans, winning a New Zealand Institute of Architects award for the work.

Alan became the builder’s labourer. “I was on site every day, which was fantastic because it helped me to really understand the house,” he says.

Throughout, they were determined not to make it glossy. “We didn’t want to beautify it,” Kath says. “We wanted to keep the austerity of the fact that it had been a convent.”

The kitchen nods to the era with mesh cupboards referencing old meat safes, and a stone bench that “has no trimmings”. Original timbers were replaced in kind. Where tiles were added, they chose understated stone.

One of the great surprises came when workers removed plaster to reveal the original front door, still hanging crooked on its hinges. In the oldest part of the house, the tiny window panes remain intact, impurities and all. “They’re small because they were shipped from England,” Alan says.

The home’s past is more than architectural. One visitor in particular left a mark. Sister Annie, once a child living across the road, regularly visited to see the convent rooms where she’d taken music lessons. Well into her nineties, she would walk through the house naming each space and admiring the respectful treatment the couple had implemented.

“She called us the custodians,” Alan says. “She would give us a Christmas card ‘to the custodians of the convent’.”

That word stayed with them. “There’s a serenity to this place,” Kath says. “We have emotionally responded to this house, to the bones of it. I just feel that we were meant to have this house.”

Their life here has been a mix of quiet winters by the fire and lively gatherings in summer.

The doors open wide to the garden, while the snug offers an intimate refuge on cold nights.

They have hosted everything from cosy dinners to royal-themed parties with formal dress and full menus marking royal weddings and jubilees. “The house does cater for quiet times, small times, but you can entertain a decent number of people as well,” Alan says.

Arrowtown itself has been part of the experience. “It’s a very caring community,” Alan says.

Kath describes Anzac Day in the village as a highlight. “You cannot go anywhere without bumping into somebody you know,” she says. “It’s just been such a privilege to live here.”

The decision to leave has been led by family. Their three adult children and grandchildren are all in the North Island, and at 81 they want to make the move while it’s still an adventure rather than a necessity. But the parting is a wrench.

“These have been the happiest years of my life,” Kath says. “It’s given me a total appreciation of what’s important in life.” Alan adds quietly, “It’s been a privilege to be custodians of such a unique home in such a wonderful environment.”

They hope the next owners will feel the same sense of stewardship. The house is fully restored and sits within Arrowtown’s historic zone, where coverage rules protect its character.

They imagine the next custodians might be early retirees, perhaps grandparents, who will appreciate the calm, history and warmth the home offers.

“Everything,” Alan says when asked what they will miss most. “The tranquillity, the sunshine, the position. You can walk everywhere. The early settlers knew where to build first.”

After more than 150 years and several lifetimes of stories, the convent is ready for its next chapter.

21 Anglesea Street is for sale price by negotiation. Listing agents are Todd Weeks and Tracey Laker of Bayleys. Viewings are by request.

As of September 2024 the CV on the property was $3,300,000.

Cotality puts the current median property value in Arrowtown at $2,085,910 with their figures showing a 0.6% decrease overall in the past 12 months.