Seven Ways to Step Away This Autumn at Minsteracres

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10

There is something about autumn that makes stillness easier to find. The light softens, the woods around Minsteracres turn from green to gold, and the pace of the year, so hectic through the summer, finally starts to slow. It is a good season to come away for a while.

Between now and Advent there are seven autumn retreats on our programme, and they are deliberately varied. Some last a single day, some a whole weekend. Some are silent, some are full of song. One is spent walking the countryside and one gently moving in a circle. One is for people carrying grief, and one is a deep dive into the spirituality of a young Carmelite saint. What they share is a place set apart, a warm welcome, good food, and the chance to listen for God without the usual noise in the way.

Here are our autumn retreats, in the order they arrive.

Walking Retreat — Thursday 17 September

We begin outdoors. The Walking Retreat is a day on foot through the beautiful countryside around Minsteracres, a 7 to 10-mile route with pauses along the way for prayer and quiet reflection. There is an old wisdom in praying while walking: the rhythm of your steps does some of the work, and the landscape offers up its own kind of scripture.

You will need sturdy footwear, warm layers and a packed lunch. The rest is provided: the paths, the views and the company of others who have come for the same reason.

Thursday 17 September, 10am–5pm. £15 suggested donation.
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The Embodied Contemplative — Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September

The following day, a weekend retreat begins that approaches stillness from a different direction. Led by Terry Doyle, The Embodied Contemplative weaves together Christian Meditation, gentle Tai Chi movement and simple breath work. The idea is an old one, even if the combination feels fresh: that the body is part of prayer, not a distraction from it, and that inner peace is something we can move into as well as think our way towards.

No experience of meditation or Tai Chi is needed. The pace is gentle throughout, and the weekend is open to all ages and abilities.

Friday 18 – Sunday 20 September. £230 suggested donation, residential with meals.
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Quiet Day — Thursday 29 October

Our Quiet Days are the simplest thing we offer, and for many people the most precious. There is no programme to keep up with and nothing you have to do. You arrive at ten, and for six hours the house, the grounds and the chapel are yours for personal prayer, contemplation and simply being in God’s presence. Lunch and refreshments are included, so there is nothing to organise.

People come alone, or bring a friend who needs it as much as they do. Either is welcome.

Thursday 29 October, 10am–4pm. £45 suggested donation, lunch included.
Book the October Quiet Day

A Circle of Prayer: Circle Dance — Saturday 31 October

Prayer does not always have to be still. On the last day of October, Joyce McAndrew leads A Circle of Prayer, a day of Circle Dance in which music, both traditional and contemporary, is met with simple, responsive movement in meditative and contemplative patterns. Reflective readings punctuate the day and give it its shape.

If the word “dance” makes you nervous, be reassured: you do not need to be a dancer. The steps are gentle and easy to pick up, and the circle carries you along.

Saturday 31 October, 10am–4pm. £45 suggested donation.
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Day of Consolation — Tuesday 10 November

Bereavement, loss, a life that has changed shape when you were not ready for it: these things need somewhere to go. The Day of Consolation, led by Chris Smith, offers a safe and gentle space for anyone living with grief or significant change. There is time to be heard, time to be quiet, and the chance to share with others who understand, all within the peace of the house and grounds.

It is held in November, the month the Church sets aside for remembering those who have died, and it asks nothing of you except that you come as you are.

Tuesday 10 November, 10am–4pm. £45 suggested donation.
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My Vocation is Love: Carmelite Spirituality — Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November

“My vocation is love,” wrote Thérèse of Lisieux, a young Carmelite nun who died at twenty-four and went on to be named a Doctor of the Church. Over this November weekend, Gillian Coxhead leads an exploration of her life and of Carmelite spirituality more widely, through talks, times of prayer and silence. At the heart of it is Thérèse’s “Little Way”, a path of trust and surrender that finds God not in grand gestures but in the smallest and most ordinary things.

Whether Thérèse is an old friend or a new name to you, this is a chance to go deeper, slowly, in good company.

Friday 13 – Sunday 15 November. £220 suggested donation, residential with meals.
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For the Beauty of the Earth: Taizé Retreat — Wednesday 25 November

We end the autumn in song. Camille Mazarelo and Minnie Fraser lead For the Beauty of the Earth, a Taizé retreat day celebrating every part of creation in prayer, meditation and music. Taizé chants are short and simple, sung again and again until they begin to sing themselves in you, and they belong to no single tradition. Their heart is simplicity, ecumenism and love, and they are easy and accessible to everyone, whatever your voice.

Coming as it does at the very end of the Church’s year, just days before Advent, it is a gentle and joyful way to give thanks for the earth before the season of waiting begins. Places are already going, so do book early for this one.

Wednesday 25 November, 10am–4pm. £45 suggested donation.
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Practical details for our autumn retreats

All of our autumn retreats are priced as suggested donations. Day retreats run from 10am and include lunch and refreshments unless stated otherwise; residential retreats include accommodation and all meals. Minsteracres sits in its own grounds between Consett and Hexham, with free parking, and is easily reached from Newcastle, Durham and the Tyne Valley.

You can book any of these retreats online using the links above, or by ringing the office on 01434 673 248. Please note that our retreats need a minimum number of participants to run, so an early booking is always the most helpful kind.

If one of these has caught your eye, we would love to see you this autumn. Come away for a while. The woods will be at their best, and the kettle will be on.