Come and just be….
Most of the time our house will be open and available for you to enjoy as you wish, whether that means your own personal retreat or using St Oswald’s as a base to explore the beauty of the local area…or indeed a combination of both!
The cost for a catered stay is currently £72.50 per person per night.
We have plenty of space in the house for the following dates…
Mon 20th – Sun 26th March
Tues 11th – Fri 14th April
Fri 21st – Sun 23rd April
Mon 24th – Sun 30th April
Mon 1st – Fri 5th May
Fri 19th – Sun 21st May
Fri 26th – Sun 28th May
Mon 29th May – Sun 4th June
Mon 19th – Fri 23rd June
As well as the house being open for you to come and ‘just be’, we also have a number of structures/led events which are detailed here…
Individually Guided Retreat: Monday 27th- Friday 31st March (full with waiting list)
This retreat will be largely held in silence (from Monday evening until Thursday evening). You will be allocated a spiritual director and will have the opportunity to meet with them on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. There will also be times of reflection and communion throughout the week. Led by Margi Walker and Felicity Lawson. £290 per person.
Holy Week & Easter Period: we are open from Wednesday 5th – Monday 10th April (full with waiting list)
We will be opening on Wednesday 5th and are able to welcome residential guests until Easter Monday (10th April). £72.50 per person per night.
Thursday 6th will be a quiet day which will be open to local visitors. There will be a short reflection at 10am and we’ll be holding the house and gardens in silence until 4pm. There are plenty of spaces to just ‘be’ and to spend time in reflection. There will be refreshments provided at 11am & 4pm and guests are invited to bring a packed lunch. For those able, there is the invitation to stay on for our 5pm Communion service. There is no charge for this day but there’ll be a donation box available for those who’d like to make a contribution. If you plan to join us, please let the office know so that we have a rough idea of numbers – thank you.
Walking Week (3-5 miles): Monday 22nd – Friday 26th May
Come and join us as we explore the beauty of the local area on foot! We will head out each day (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) for a 3-5 mile walk. These walks are suitable for short-medium distance walkers and we will aim to cover the distance at a slower pace than if we were walking further. You will still require a reasonable level of fitness! £290 per person.
Northern Saints Pilgrimage with Gavin & Fran Wakefield: Monday 5th – Friday 9th June
Christians have always had to deal with people different from themselves, some of them fellow Christians, some not. We will explore what we can learn about how to live with difference from some of the Yorkshire saints – from Hild to David Watson. There will be short talks, some time for our own reflection, the opportunity for artwork and the option of local visits.
We will be led by Gavin and Fran Wakefield, both priests in the Church of England. Gavin has written a number of books which draw on the lives of our Christian forebears, and will refer to his recent book Saints and Holy Places of Yorkshire this week (there will be a complimentary copy for each participant). Fran and Sally, a member of the community, both use artwork to express their faith and will be available to accompany you if you wish to explore your responses through art. £290 per person.
Walking Week (7-10 miles): Monday 17th – Friday 21st July
Come and join us as we explore the beauty of the local area on foot! We will head out each day (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) for a 7-10 mile walk. These walks are suitable for medium-longer distance walkers and may contain some steep inclines. You will require a good level of fitness! £290 per person.
Impressions of light – Cyanotype printing: Friday 28th – Sunday 30th July (full with waiting list)
Our very own Sally (who is also a talented artist!) will be teaching you how to create your own cyanotype prints. Google them – they’re amazing! There will be an element of reflection as well…but plenty of time for hands on creativity. There will be limited spaces on this event. £145 per person.
St Hilda’s Pilgrimage: Monday 4th – Sunday 10th September
Join us as we embark on the St Hilda’s Pilgrimage – an intentional 40 mile walk from Hinderwell to Whitby Abbey. The week will consist of 4 walking days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) where we will cover approximately 10 miles each day, starting out from St Oswald’s each morning and sometimes using public transport to get to our starting point. Thursday will be a rest/free day ‘back at base’.
We will be intentional about stopping at places of pilgrimage along the route. We will also follow the theme set at Morning Prayer throughout the day as we hold a rhythm as prayer as we walk. This will also include some periods of silent/reflective walking. You will need to have a good level of fitness and be able to complete 10+ miles each day, as well as cope with some more strenuous sections and inclines (as these are linear routes which can’t easily be truncated!) £435 per person.
Art Retreat: Monday 16th – Friday 20th October
Following the success of our art week last month, Sarah Sharp will be leading another art retreat. There will be more details to following regarding the theme of the retreat but we can guarantee it’ll be a great week. Bookings are now open and places are limited! £290 per person.
Celtic Advent Weekend Retreat: Friday 17th – Sunday 19th November
This weekend retreat will be led by Sarah Kinch (one of our extended community members who is also a member of the Northumbria Community). £145 per person.
Singing Weekend: Friday 24th- Sunday 26th November
Come join us for a fun and uplifting weekend of singing! Our weekend will be led by Mike Leigh who is an accomplished singer and was a member of Opera North before becoming a vicar! Up until a few years ago Mike led a parish just down the road in Scarborough. He is now one of the chaplains at Scargill house and is a great friend of St Oswald’s.
This is a weekend for those who love to sing and also those who have never tried; so no experience is necessary and you don’t need to read music. The majority of the singing will be on the Saturday and so we are open to local people coming over just for the day if that would be helpful (speak to the office about this option). £145 per person.
Advent Retreat: Monday 4th – Friday 8th December
This week will have some periods of quiet (although is not a silent retreat). Join us as we journey together, reflecting on Advent themes and enjoying some peace and rest before the busyness of December begins. £290 per person.
New Year at Home: Friday 29th December 2023 – Tuesday 2nd January 2024
If you like the idea of a lower-key New Year, then this might be just for you! There’ll be our rhythm of prayer, great food (including our now legendary New Year’s Eve curry night!), company if you fancy…and a roaring fire! What’s not to love! £325 per person.
There is the possibility of an additional ‘Individually Guided Retreat’ in the Autumn – we’ll post details when/if this is confirmed.