Discover a haven of tranquillity in the Surrey countryside, where the Franciscan spirit of simplicity, hospitality and prayer offers an opportunity to draw closer to God. With special retreats planned for Advent and the New Year, the Franciscan Centre Ladywell invites visitors to step away from everyday pressures and rediscover the joy of faith.
In the midst of our busy lives, finding time for silence, prayer and reflection can sometimes seem an impossible luxury. Yet it is often precisely when life feels most demanding that we need to pause, take stock and reconnect with what matters most.
Whether facing an important decision, navigating a period of change, coping with loss or simply longing for a little peace, taking time away can offer an invaluable opportunity to listen more attentively to God’s presence in our lives.
Nestled in the beautiful Surrey countryside, the Franciscan Centre Ladywell offers just such a sanctuary: a welcoming place of peace, beauty and spiritual renewal, where visitors are encouraged to slow down, reflect and rediscover the gentle rhythm of prayer.
A Home Rooted in Franciscan Spirituality
Ladywell is home to the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM), an international religious congregation whose origins date back to the late 1880s, when a small group of women in northeast England dedicated themselves to following Christ through the Gospel, inspired by the example of St Francis of Assisi.
Today, the Sisters continue to proclaim the joy and freedom of the Gospel in the spirit of St Francis and St Clare of Assisi.
Their commitment to hospitality, contemplation and care for creation is reflected in the atmosphere of Ladywell, where the Centre welcomes people seeking rest, renewal and a deeper understanding of Franciscan spirituality.
Visitors can enjoy a quiet day of reflection, make a personal retreat or participate in one of the Centre’s organised spiritual programmes and workshops. Those seeking deeper spiritual accompaniment may also arrange time with a spiritual director.
The invitation is simple: come as you are, find space to breathe and allow yourself time to encounter God.
A Welcoming Space for Individuals and Groups
Alongside its spiritual programmes, Ladywell provides comfortable accommodation and modern facilities for individuals, groups and organisations wishing to hold their own retreats, meetings or events.
The Centre can accommodate 24 residential guests in single occupancy, or up to 41 guests sharing. All bedrooms are ensuite, while five self-contained ground-floor apartments provide additional flexibility for those seeking independent, self-catering accommodation.
Two fully accessible ground-floor bedrooms are also available, complemented by accessible pathways, meeting rooms and dining facilities.
With flexible meeting spaces catering for everything from small informal gatherings to larger events of up to 100 people, Ladywell combines practical hospitality with the peace and beauty of its countryside setting.
Throughout the Centre, dedicated prayer spaces invite visitors to embrace silence and contemplation, while the surrounding grounds provide opportunities to appreciate the beauty of God’s creation.
Preparing Our Hearts for Christmas: An Advent Retreat
Advent is a season of waiting, hope and joyful expectation. Yet amid the shopping, preparations and competing demands of December, its deeper spiritual significance can easily be overlooked.
The Franciscan Centre Ladywell offers an opportunity to rediscover the true meaning of this sacred season.
Following the wonderful response to its Advent Retreat from 4th–6th December, which is now fully booked, the Centre is delighted to announce an additional Advent Retreat from 11th–13th December.
Led by the Franciscan Centre Team, this peaceful weekend will focus on preparing hearts for the mystery of the Incarnation: the extraordinary truth that God, out of love for humanity, chose to become human and dwell among us.
Participants will be invited to reflect on the wonder of God’s closeness and the invitation to deepen their relationship with Christ.
The weekend will include reflections from the Franciscan Centre Team, opportunities for shared and personal prayer, periods of silence and stillness, and the celebration of the sacraments.
Surrounded by Ladywell’s tranquil countryside, retreatants will have the opportunity to step away from the busyness of December and turn their attention towards the coming of Christ.
Whether an experienced retreatant or someone considering a retreat for the first time, everyone is warmly welcome.
Advent Retreat Details
- Dates: Friday 11th – Sunday 13th December
- Arrival:Â Friday 11th December
- Departure:Â Sunday 13th December, after lunch
- Cost: £210 per person
- Includes:Â Accommodation and full board, from supper on Friday through to lunch on Sunday
- Booking:Â Advance booking is essential
New Year Retreat: Living the Franciscan Joy
As the Christmas season gives way to a New Year, many people find themselves reflecting on the months ahead, considering new beginnings and seeking renewed purpose.
From Friday 29th to Sunday 31st January 2027, the Franciscan Centre Ladywell will host a special retreat entitled “Living the Franciscan Joy”, led by the Franciscan Centre Ministry Team.
Inspired by St Francis and St Clare of Assisi, the weekend will explore a distinctive understanding of joy: not a fleeting happiness dependent upon circumstances, but a deep and enduring gratitude rooted in recognising God’s presence throughout creation and everyday life.
Franciscan joy does not deny life’s difficulties. Rather, it encourages a way of living that embraces simplicity, gratitude, hope and trust in God’s loving presence, even amid uncertainty.
Through guided sessions on Franciscan spirituality, personal prayer, quiet reflection and fellowship, participants will explore practical ways to bring this spirit of joy into their daily lives.
Themes will include the freedom found in letting go, the beauty of radical simplicity, discovering God’s presence in nature and nurturing relationships through small acts of love.
The retreat offers a refreshing opportunity to begin the year with a lighter heart, renewed hope and a deeper appreciation of the blessings that surround us.
It is particularly suited to anyone seeking a peaceful pause and practical inspiration for living more joyfully and faithfully in the year ahead.
New Year Retreat Details
- Dates: Friday 29th – Sunday 31st January 2027
- Arrival:Â Friday afternoon, with supper at 6.00pm
- Departure:Â Sunday after lunch
- Price: £230 per person
- Includes:Â Two nights’ accommodation, all meals and the full retreat programme
- Booking:Â Advance booking is required
An Invitation to Come Away and Rest
At the heart of the Franciscan Centre Ladywell is a simple but powerful invitation: to make room for God amid the demands of everyday life.
In a world that rarely seems to slow down, the opportunity to experience silence, beauty, prayer and genuine hospitality can be a precious gift.
Whether preparing for Christmas during Advent, seeking renewed joy at the beginning of a New Year, or simply looking for a quiet place to reflect, Ladywell offers an environment in which faith can be nourished and the spirit refreshed.
Importantly, the Centre welcomes everyone, people of all faiths and none, and no previous retreat experience is necessary.
As the Franciscan tradition reminds us, joy is often discovered not in having more, but in appreciating the simple gifts of life and recognising God’s loving presence within them.
Perhaps this Advent or New Year is the perfect time to step away from the noise, embrace the stillness and discover what God may be inviting you to hear.
For further information about the Advent and New Year retreats, other events or accommodation at the Franciscan Centre Ladywell, visit www.franciscancentre.org.uk or telephone 01483 675575.
Advance booking is essential for both retreats.
________________________________
Discover a haven of tranquillity in the Surrey countryside, where the Franciscan spirit of simplicity, hospitality and prayer offers an opportunity to draw closer to God. With special retreats planned for Advent and the New Year, the Franciscan Centre Ladywell invites visitors to step away from everyday pressures and rediscover the joy of faith.
In the midst of our busy lives, finding time for silence, prayer and reflection can sometimes seem an impossible luxury. Yet it is often precisely when life feels most demanding that we need to pause, take stock and reconnect with what matters most.
Whether facing an important decision, navigating a period of change, coping with loss or simply longing for a little peace, taking time away can offer an invaluable opportunity to listen more attentively to God’s presence in our lives.
Nestled in the beautiful Surrey countryside, the Franciscan Centre Ladywell offers just such a sanctuary: a welcoming place of peace, beauty and spiritual renewal, where visitors are encouraged to slow down, reflect and rediscover the gentle rhythm of prayer.
A Home Rooted in Franciscan Spirituality
Ladywell is home to the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM), an international religious congregation whose origins date back to the late 1880s, when a small group of women in northeast England dedicated themselves to following Christ through the Gospel, inspired by the example of St Francis of Assisi.
Today, the Sisters continue to proclaim the joy and freedom of the Gospel in the spirit of St Francis and St Clare of Assisi.
Their commitment to hospitality, contemplation and care for creation is reflected in the atmosphere of Ladywell, where the Centre welcomes people seeking rest, renewal and a deeper understanding of Franciscan spirituality.
Visitors can enjoy a quiet day of reflection, make a personal retreat or participate in one of the Centre’s organised spiritual programmes and workshops. Those seeking deeper spiritual accompaniment may also arrange time with a spiritual director.
The invitation is simple: come as you are, find space to breathe and allow yourself time to encounter God.
A Welcoming Space for Individuals and Groups
Alongside its spiritual programmes, Ladywell provides comfortable accommodation and modern facilities for individuals, groups and organisations wishing to hold their own retreats, meetings or events.
The Centre can accommodate 24 residential guests in single occupancy, or up to 41 guests sharing. All bedrooms are ensuite, while five self-contained ground-floor apartments provide additional flexibility for those seeking independent, self-catering accommodation.
Two fully accessible ground-floor bedrooms are also available, complemented by accessible pathways, meeting rooms and dining facilities.
With flexible meeting spaces catering for everything from small informal gatherings to larger events of up to 100 people, Ladywell combines practical hospitality with the peace and beauty of its countryside setting.
Throughout the Centre, dedicated prayer spaces invite visitors to embrace silence and contemplation, while the surrounding grounds provide opportunities to appreciate the beauty of God’s creation.
Preparing Our Hearts for Christmas: An Advent Retreat
Advent is a season of waiting, hope and joyful expectation. Yet amid the shopping, preparations and competing demands of December, its deeper spiritual significance can easily be overlooked.
The Franciscan Centre Ladywell offers an opportunity to rediscover the true meaning of this sacred season.
Following the wonderful response to its Advent Retreat from 4th–6th December, which is now fully booked, the Centre is delighted to announce an additional Advent Retreat from 11th–13th December.
Led by the Franciscan Centre Team, this peaceful weekend will focus on preparing hearts for the mystery of the Incarnation: the extraordinary truth that God, out of love for humanity, chose to become human and dwell among us.
Participants will be invited to reflect on the wonder of God’s closeness and the invitation to deepen their relationship with Christ.
The weekend will include reflections from the Franciscan Centre Team, opportunities for shared and personal prayer, periods of silence and stillness, and the celebration of the sacraments.
Surrounded by Ladywell’s tranquil countryside, retreatants will have the opportunity to step away from the busyness of December and turn their attention towards the coming of Christ.
Whether an experienced retreatant or someone considering a retreat for the first time, everyone is warmly welcome.
Advent Retreat Details
- Dates: Friday 11th – Sunday 13th December
- Arrival:Â Friday 11th December
- Departure:Â Sunday 13th December, after lunch
- Cost: £210 per person
- Includes:Â Accommodation and full board, from supper on Friday through to lunch on Sunday
- Booking:Â Advance booking is essential
New Year Retreat: Living the Franciscan Joy
As the Christmas season gives way to a New Year, many people find themselves reflecting on the months ahead, considering new beginnings and seeking renewed purpose.
From Friday 29th to Sunday 31st January 2027, the Franciscan Centre Ladywell will host a special retreat entitled “Living the Franciscan Joy”, led by the Franciscan Centre Ministry Team.
Inspired by St Francis and St Clare of Assisi, the weekend will explore a distinctive understanding of joy: not a fleeting happiness dependent upon circumstances, but a deep and enduring gratitude rooted in recognising God’s presence throughout creation and everyday life.
Franciscan joy does not deny life’s difficulties. Rather, it encourages a way of living that embraces simplicity, gratitude, hope and trust in God’s loving presence, even amid uncertainty.
Through guided sessions on Franciscan spirituality, personal prayer, quiet reflection and fellowship, participants will explore practical ways to bring this spirit of joy into their daily lives.
Themes will include the freedom found in letting go, the beauty of radical simplicity, discovering God’s presence in nature and nurturing relationships through small acts of love.
The retreat offers a refreshing opportunity to begin the year with a lighter heart, renewed hope and a deeper appreciation of the blessings that surround us.
It is particularly suited to anyone seeking a peaceful pause and practical inspiration for living more joyfully and faithfully in the year ahead.
New Year Retreat Details
- Dates: Friday 29th – Sunday 31st January 2027
- Arrival:Â Friday afternoon, with supper at 6.00pm
- Departure:Â Sunday after lunch
- Price: £230 per person
- Includes:Â Two nights’ accommodation, all meals and the full retreat programme
- Booking:Â Advance booking is required
An Invitation to Come Away and Rest
At the heart of the Franciscan Centre Ladywell is a simple but powerful invitation: to make room for God amid the demands of everyday life.
In a world that rarely seems to slow down, the opportunity to experience silence, beauty, prayer and genuine hospitality can be a precious gift.
Whether preparing for Christmas during Advent, seeking renewed joy at the beginning of a New Year, or simply looking for a quiet place to reflect, Ladywell offers an environment in which faith can be nourished and the spirit refreshed.
Importantly, the Centre welcomes everyone, people of all faiths and none, and no previous retreat experience is necessary.
As the Franciscan tradition reminds us, joy is often discovered not in having more, but in appreciating the simple gifts of life and recognising God’s loving presence within them.
Perhaps this Advent or New Year is the perfect time to step away from the noise, embrace the stillness and discover what God may be inviting you to hear.
For further information about the Advent and New Year retreats, other events or accommodation at the Franciscan Centre Ladywell, visit www.franciscancentre.org.uk or telephone 01483 675575.
Advance booking is essential for both retreats.
________________________________