Programme

The Friary, Hilfield, Dorchester, Dorset, UK | Phone: 01300 341345
Email: hilfieldssf@franciscans.org.uk

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We are proud to present our 2026 Programme. Br John, our Guardian writes: We are delighted to offer a rich and varied programme at Hilfield for the coming year. It’s a mixture of old favourites and new opportunities, particularly in an artistic vein or to improve your sense of well-being. No experience or expertise necessary. Come and enjoy something life-enhancing in beautiful surroundings and good company!

Lenten Quiet Day with Br John SSF - Friday 21st February

Join a group of fellow pilgrims in a day of reflecting on the Christ’s call to take up our cross and follow him. This is the foundational call to discipleship, and the way we embrace it can make a big difference in our work to make the love of God shown in Jesus Christ known in the world around us. The suggested donation for the day is £25 to include a simple lunch of soup and a roll.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the day.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Etty Hillesum, Forging a Spirituality of Hope in Dark Times
- with Rev Canon Patrick Woodhouse Friday 13th to Sunday 15th March

Over this weekend we shall, first, explore the remarkable story of Etty Hillesum, a young Jewish diarist who, in the early years of the war through discovering an unconventional faith found her life was transformed, and who became an inspirational figure in the transit camp where all the Dutch Jews were sent on their way to Auschwitz. And then we shall ask: what can the spirituality that she forged in that very darkest of times say to us in the midst of the anxieties and the fears and the multiple overwhelmings of our times? Patrick Woodhouse is an Anglican priest, and was formerly a Canon of Wells Cathedral. He is the author of Etty Hillesum, a Life Transformed, and Life in the Psalms, Contemporary Meanings in Ancient Texts (both published by Bloomsbury). He lives with his wife Sam in Wells in Somerset. Suggested donation £160.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the day.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and bookingform

Holy Week and Easter at the Friary - Tuesday 31st March to Sunday 5th April

Join us as we celebrate Holy Week and Easter at Hilfield: Journey with the Community as we join Christ through His crucifixion, burial and on to the joy of his Resurrection. The suggested donation for the week is £320 to include all food and accommodation.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Reconnecting to the Sacred in Nature 1 with Mike Mullins -
Friday 24th to Sunday 26th April

Reconnecting to sacred nature” is a retreat running at Hilfield Friary on Friday 24th (from 12pm) to Sunday 26th April (3pm) 2026) geared those of different spiritual traditions and none enquiring into the sacredness of nature in the midst of the ecological crisis. The retreat has four aims: To help participants develop a deeper connection to and love for the beauty awe and sacredness of nature. To honestly face the environmental crisis with hope, courage and a sense of personal agency. Become part of a wider movement for positive, regenerative change in our societyLearn to know, honour and protect mother earth, allowing all life to flourish. The retreat will immerse participants in the beauty of creation in the Dorset countryside – slowing us down to nature pace.Providing time for reflection, meditation and stillness inspired by nature. It will draw upon the philosophies and writings of different world spiritual traditions, the principles of Joanna Macy’s book “Active Hope”, as well as earth sciences and evolutionary biology. The retreat is for three days, two nights and includes all meals.To book a place on the retreat or enquire about costs, please contact Mike Mullins at Email: mikemullins@soulrewilding.co.uk Mobile: 07973 642 875
Website: https://www.soulrewilding.co.uk
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Julian of Norwich - Spiritual Guide and Theologian
with Br Malcolm - Friday 8th to Sunday 10th May

There can be little doubt that Julian of Norwich continues to have a lasting and profound influence on many who are seeking to live faithful Christian lives. In this retreat we will consider some of the reasons for this, and explore her theological and spiritual insight.Julian witnesses to a God whose love is unconditional, all-embracing, all-inclusive, and who longs to share this love with all of creation.Suggested donation £160
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Drawing in Nature with Anna Milgrom - Friday 26th to Sunday 28th June

Welcome to a relaxing and creative day connecting with the beauty of nature through drawing and painting. We will stroll round the Friary gathering flowers, lichen, stones, sticks- whatever organic form catches your eye and then use them to create wonderful individual pieces of art! No experience is needed – if you can scribble then you can do this workshop! All materials provided. Places limited to 6.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Reconnecting to the Sacred in Nature 2 with Mike Mullins -
Friday 26th to Sunday 28th June

Reconnecting to sacred nature” is a retreat running at Hilfield Friary on Friday 26th (from 12pm) to Sunday 28th June (3pm) 2026) geared those of different spiritual traditions and none enquiring into the sacredness of nature in the midst of the ecological crisis.The retreat has four aims:To help participants develop a deeper connection to and love for the beauty awe and sacredness of nature.To honestly face the environmental crisis with hope, courage and a sense of personal agency.Become part of a wider movement for positive, regenerative change in our societyLearn to know, honour and protect mother earth, allowing all life to flourish. The retreat will immerse participants in the beauty of creation in the Dorset countryside – slowing us down to nature pace.Providing time for reflection, meditation and stillness inspired by nature. It will draw upon the philosophies and writings of different world spiritual traditions, the principles of Joanna Macy’s book “Active Hope”, as well as earth sciences and evolutionary biology.The retreat is for three days, two nights and includes all meals.To book a place on the retreat or enquire about costs, please contact Mike Mullins atEmail: mikemullins@soulrewilding.co.uk Mobile: 07973 642 875
Website: https://www.soulrewilding.co.uk
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Craft Week 1 with Suzi - Wednesday 1st to Sunday 5th July

Come along and enjoy the week with like-minded crafters. Bring old projects to finish and try new ones with friends, drink lots of tea and laugh a lot!Suggested donation £260.If you would like to arrive on Tuesday 20^th June to relax before you start crafting, please contact Suzi. There would be a suggested extra donation of £60.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

St Francis at 800 for Today with Br Samuel SSF -
Friday 10th to Sunday 12th July

Commemorating the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis on 3rd October 1226 this weekend with Br Samuel SSF will examine the significance of Francis for the world today – exploding some myths and exploring some new ideas. Come and be excited! Suggested donation £160.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Poetry Weekend with Dr Elizabeth Cook - Friday 17th to Sunday 19th July

We shall be looking at the work of English-language poets of the 20th and 21st centuries who write from within or in relation to a Christian faith. We will think about how, if at all, faith informs the work of a poet, especially when the work is not overtly about that faith. Poets whose work we’ll be discussing are likely to include W H Auden (1907-1973), Norman Nicholson (1914-1987), Denise Levertov (1923-1997), Elizabeth Jennings (1926-2001), U A Fanthorpe (1929-2009), Geoffrey Hill (1932-2016), Mary Oliver (1935-2019), Les Murray (1938-2019), David Scott (1947-2022), Gillian Allnutt (1949-), Philip Gross (1952-), John Burnside (1955-2024), Michael Symmons Roberts (1963-), and Rachel Mann (1970-). In contrast to previous poetry weekends we will not be making an in-depth study of any single poet but thinking together about the connections between faith and poetry. Do they share a common impulse? Is all poetry implicitly religious? I shall bring copies of several poems to discuss but invite you, if you are able, to bring a poem that speaks to you to add to the mix. The suggested donation for the weekend is £160 to include all food and accommodation.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Hilfield Families Camp - Saturday 25th July to Saturday 1st August

Every summer, Hilfield Friary hosts The Hilfield Families Camp (usually late July / early August).The Family Camp involves a week of sharing the life of the friary with adults and children (new young families are always most welcome) with Worship Work and Fun!
Please contact stuarthutton@me.com for more details.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Hilfield Youth Camp - Saturday 8th to Sunday 16th August

Every August Hilfield Friary hosts the Hilfield Youth Camp. Organised by experienced volunteers, HYC offers up to 50 young people aged 13 to 17 years the chance of a of low cost, fun holiday in stunning surroundings over a week, while exploring a Christian theme. The Youth camp is built on friendship, community and faith. Please visit their website for more information and to book: https://www.hilfieldyouthcamp.co.uk/
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Stone Carving Experience with Lindy Cameron -
Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd August

Join Lindy on a practical stone carving experience. Learn to carve or increase your skills while exploring with others how ancient stone and spirituality might work alongside each other in a relaxed environment where all are welcome. Tools provided but if you would like to bring your own then please do. Come and enjoy the rhythm of life at the Friary and meet others as we journey together over three days.The suggested donation of £200 includes a stone for sculpting.
This weekend is limited to a maximum of 8 people.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Franciscan Weekend - Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th October

Join us as we focus on the life of St Francis and his Brothers and how he still inspires people centuries after his death. Over the weekend at Hilfield, we will be focusing on Francis’ life and use his example to help us enter more deeply into a pattern of loving attentiveness to God in the world today. The suggested donation for the weekend is £160 to include all food and accommodation.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Trees of Life with Dr Romela Parish - Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October

A creative workshop exploring the symbolism of trees in the Bible and what it means to be rooted in Christ. Taking inspiration from the glorious setting of Hilfield and some of the Romola’s own work, the retreat will use a variety of media for creative expression and exploration of faith. The emphasis is on a contemplative approach to creativity, and on the process of making rather than a finished product. Do not be put off if you don’t consider yourself to be a ‘creative’ person! All that is needed is openheartedness and a willingness to experiment a little! Basic materials will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own to use, swap or share!Rev. Dr Romola Parish is a former academic specialising in environmental change in mountains and deserts, and a former environmental lawyer. She trained in traditional hand embroidery at the Royal School of Needlework and studied poetry at Oxford and Cardiff. She is now a non-stipendiary priest in the Church in Wales and holds exhibitions and runs creative retreats and workshops all over the UK. She is also a spiritual director in the Diocese of St Davids.The suggested donation for the weekend is £160 to include all food and accommodation.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Folk Weekend led by Gill and Alan McIntosh -
Friday 17th to Sunday 19th October

Songs about occupations and or ways of life. Bring your instruments, your enthusiasm and your voices to join this ever-popular weekend. Join Gill and Alan in their 17th year of Folk Weekends at Hilfield. Always popular! The suggested donation for the weekend is £160 to include all food and accommodation.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Advent Quiet Day with Reverend Hilary Bond - Saturday 21st November

Join us for our annual Advent Quiet Day. A chance to retreat from secular society as we prepare for the birth of the Christ Child, the Light of the World. Hilary is a priest in the Wareham Parish and a long time friend and contributor to Hilfield Friary. Suggested donation £25 to include soup and a roll.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

2nd Craft Week of the year with Suzi -
Wednesday 25th to Sunday 29th November

Escape from the run up to Christmas craziness! Join us to craft, chat and learn from one another in a friendly environment. Bring old projects to finish and try new ones with friends, drink lots of tea and laugh a lot! If you would like to arrive on Tuesday 24^th November to relax before you start crafting, please contact Suzi. There would be a suggested extra donation of £60. The suggested donation for the week is £250 to include all food and accommodation. If you would like to arrive on Tuesday 26^th November to relax before you start crafting, please contact Suzi. There would be a suggested extra donation of £50. For more information and booking please contact Suzi at Hilfield on 01300 341741 or email hilfieldssf@franciscans.org.uk
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the weekend.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form

Join our Friary Family where we await the birth of the Christ Child. Our celebrations begin on Christmas Eve as we come together to decorate the Friary and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Please contact Suzi to check availability and avoid disappointment before registering for the week.
Click here to download the individual leaflet and booking form