Badby Park, formerly known as Badby House, has been converted into a 65-bedroom care home. The home, which opened last month, also boasts five close care units, car park, pond and walled garden.

Director Mehra Meh said: “We are proud to be in a position where, after four years of design, planning and construction, we have overcome many obstacles and rejuvinated the old Badby monastery site, which includes not just the restoration and expansion of the historic buildings, but that of the walled garden and the creation of a new pond.

“But the regeneration goes beyond that. We already employ between 20 and 30 people and aim to provide much needed quality care services to the community.”

Badby House, also known as Our Lady of the Passion Monastery, was home to Catholic nuns for more than 40 years. The last two remaining nuns moved out in August 2005 and planning permission for the care home was granted in November 2007 by Daventry District Council.

Mr Meh added: “In the medium term we want to make Badby a well-established centre of excellence in the area and we believe given the beautiful setting, the facilities we have put in place and our proven expertise, we are in a position to do so.”

He also spoke of his pride at overcoming the problems caused by the credit crunch.

Mr Meh said: “We are very proud to have come this far in such a severe economic climate and, at a point where so many care facilities have been weakened or failed because of the slump, we have managed to not just continue, but progress and be in a position to launch our service.”