Private Stays, Retreats, Study Breaks in Cathedral Close

Home Learning Private Stays, Retreats, Study Breaks and Sabbaticals

Personalised stays

You can visit Sarum for a self directed break, or plan a more structured programme to include retreat, study, sabbatical, spiritual direction, supervision, mentoring, a course, or a combination of elements.

Enjoy use of the library and its reading rooms, an ensuite bedroom and freshly prepared food by our onsite catering team. You can choose to participate in the community life of a thriving college as much or as little as you wish.

You may wish to include one or more additional elements, depending on the purpose of your visit

One of our team will discuss your visit and help you to include the resources you are looking for. You may be able to plan your visit to include an event already scheduled in our programme.

Sarum College is set in the glorious Salisbury Cathedral Close, just steps away from the medieval cathedral with the tallest spire in England.

Our residential packages include use of the many facilities in our heritage buildings where people have been reflecting and studying theology since the first students arrived in 1861.

Browse the course & event calendar

Need financial assistance? We are grateful to the Community of St Denys Trustees and the Association for Promoting Retreats for their contribution to financial support programmes. See our page on bursaries available.

Called to the ministry of spiritual direction?

Consider the Sarum Course in Spiritual Direction

What do you need?

Retreats

You can arrange a private retreat, to include Cathedral services, or prayers at one of the many places of worship in Salisbury. There are many local walks, and access to the library in College. Spiritual direction or accompaniment can be arranged to suit you.

View our course calendar to check dates

Find out why Salisbury is called the City in the Countryside

Pastoral supervision

Pastoral supervision is available to support ordained and lay ministers in a wide variety of contexts, subject to availability.

Individual or group supervision is available for those engaged in spiritual direction. Supervision is also available for those engaged in pastoral ministries of accompaniment or care.

Spiritual Direction

Spiritual Direction can be booked as part of your stay, subject to availability. This might be one or more conversations depending on the length and focus of your time here.

Contact Clair James cjames@sarum.ac.uk to organise possible dates/times for this.

Mentoring

‘Mentoring is a social relationship one person shares with others so they flourish with well-being and success.’

– Walter Brueggemann

Mentoring is available to support you during times of challenge in your ministry and/or discernment for work role changes.

Subject to availability, we offer consultation with an experienced mentor who will help you reflect about your ministry and vocation. The mentor may also suggest readings to help define the structure and purpose of your stay.

Guided study leave and sabbaticals

You may wish to visit Sarum before or during your sabbatical or study leave. Subject to availability, we offer mentoring to support your planning, progress and review, and/or help you develop a focused area of study.

You can explore whether you want this to lead to credit-rated postgraduate study or to enrolment on one of our master’s degree programmes. Sarum College has experienced tutors in the fields of spiritual direction, spirituality, liturgy, ministry, leadership, doctrine and the Bible.

How to arrange a personalised stay

If you have a particular date in mind, you can check availability online or contact a member of hospitality to enquire. Alternatively, if you wish to discuss then please contact Clair James cjames@sarum.ac.uk who will help you explore options.

If you would like accompaniment, mention this and your email will be passed to the team. We will then contact you to confirm whether or not we have the availability, and if so you can then discuss your visit directly and make arrangements for meeting times.

Cost

Please contact us to discuss current costs.

The most usual patterns for a stay are:

A 24-hour visit including lunch, supper, bed and breakfast in a single ensuite room with one hour of accompaniment or mentoring;

A 24 hour visit as above but with an additional lunch;

A 48-hour visit with two lunches, two suppers, two nights bed and breakfast in a single en-suite room and an hour of accompaniment or mentoring.

You may wish to additional nights, meals and accompaniment sessions. We can discuss this with you.

Riveting!

Book of Revelation course

Someone on the course said it was ‘riveting!’ This was exactly what I felt. The course was a total joy because of the tutor’s handouts, excellence and Sarum College hospitality.

Faith is an imaginative adventure

The Very Revd Dr Mark Oakley

I admire the work and tone of Sarum College very deeply. It is a community that takes theology and spirituality seriously, not as hobbies but as pursuits into understanding, and engaging in, a complex world.

Sarum College reminds us that faith is an imaginative adventure and that it is shaped by a questioning joy.

Vibrant approach to theology

Fr Azariah France-Williams

I’ve been particularly struck by the refreshing approach to theological education here. In a world, and indeed within parts of the church, where faith can sometimes feel stagnant or out of touch, Sarum offers a vibrant and relevant alternative. The courses encourage a bold exploration of profound ideas, connecting with truths that lie beneath the surface and fostering genuine personal growth, which feels particularly significant as I approach my 50th year. This counter-cultural spirit, which embraces depth and challenges ageism and fear, is truly remarkable. Sarum is a place where individuals can be transformed by engaging with a living and breathing faith.

Well worth taking the time

Disability Theology: Theory and Practice

I took time to attend the course out of a busy working week and it was well worth taking that time. I have so many things to ponder and reflect on from this course and a helpful further reading list to keep me going for a few months! Thank you Sarum College

Netflix, Theology and Pastoral Practice

Peter Butchers on his MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture student experience

How do cultural tropes, like those found in Black Mirror, help bridge the gap between what academic theology espouses and what the everyday Christian believes? In his research as a student on the MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture, Peter Butchers explored platonic philosophy, digital theology and eschatology, and pastoral practice around death and dying.

Rewarding Sabbatical Stay

The Revd Greg Syler, is Rector of Ascension & St. George’s, Resurrection Parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC USA, spent part of his ministry sabbatical at Sarum College in spring 2022.

His account of the experience begins: ‘I loved spending nearly three weeks of my ministry sabbatical at Sarum College earlier this year.

Not only did I rest, and rest well in the comfortable care of the Sarum College staff, I experienced very significant renewal and fresh insights.’

Private Stays, Retreats, Study Breaks