Name: Launde Abbey
Item: Launde Abbey
Rating: 5
Author: Elizabeth Vernon

Launde Abbey is a Christian Retreat House and Conference Centre. It is offered to the whole church and the wider community through the generous support of the Church of England Dioceses of Leicester and Peterborough, and every year welcomes thousands of visitors to a unique experience of warm hospitality and deep spirituality.

Set in beautiful parkland of 450 acres on the borders of Leicestershire and Rutland, the Abbey has 39 en-suite bedrooms which can accommodate up to 78 people; full conference facilities; comprehensive dining facilities; extensive cultivated gardens and a wonderful twelfth century Chapel (part of the original Augustinian priory).

Retreats at Launde Abbey come in many forms. We offer Guest-reading-in-bedroom-199x300retreats for individuals and groups, those looking for silence and others who are seeking inspiration or creativity. Our programme of retreats is extensive and we hope, offers something for everyone. There is also an opportunity to experience a solitary retreat in our self-catering Oxford and Cambridge Hermitage, which is available for individuals looking to spend time in a more ’removed’ situation. Every one of our retreats however, offers the chance to step back from the pressures of daily life, to enter a deeper peace with the opportunity to pray and experience God.

ou can stay at Launde Abbey as an individual retreatant in several ways. You can join one of our Programme retreats or spend time here with the aid of a spiritual director to lead you throughout your stay, for which there is a small charge by way of suggested donation. Alternatively you can come to just spend contemplative time on your own, away from the busyness of life. It is also possible to visit as a day guest for a personal Quiet Day.

The price of our Programme retreats depends on the length and content of the retreat and details of cost can be found in our 2018 Programme.

Launde-Chapel-in-the-Round-2-150x150If you would like to stay as an individual on a residential basis, the cost is £87.00 per 24 hour period in 2018, which includes all your food and accommodation during your stay. Dates are subject to availability, but individual retreats are available all year round and can be made for any period from 1 to 21 days, subject to availability. During your stay you will have full use of the Abbey and its grounds, including use of the Chapels and you are also welcome to join in Community Worship, which takes place at several times throughout the day.

desk-in-bedroom-2-199x300We have three chapels for guest use at Launde, two in the Main House and one in the grounds. Our St John the Baptist Chapel is the largest and dates back to Medieval times. It is the chapel most often used for group worship. The St Augustine Chapel is also situated in the Main House and is a smaller, more intimate chapel where smaller groups and individuals can sit in quiet contemplation or prayer. Our Emmaus Chapel is situated behind the Stable Block in the grounds and offers a quiet space for those out walking in the gardens or for those who are accommodated in our Stable Block.

We have 39 en-suite bedrooms, with a selection of single, twin and double rooms. Three of our bedrooms are equipped for disabled guests and carers. We also have a number of family rooms so families with children of all ages can be catered for as well. Each bedroom is centrally heated and equipped with a desk, hostess tray, tea/coffee making facilities, a shaver socket and a cable for wired Internet access via a laptop. Wi-fi is only available in certain parts of the Abbey, but is free where available. We also provide guests with towels and soap, but you will need to bring your own toiletries.

Chatting-over-a-drink-2-199x300There is a licensed bar and coffee area and plenty of space in our grounds to spend quiet time or to enjoy the gardens. There are also some lovely walks around the Abbey and maps are available from reception.

As well as having your bedroom to spend time in, there are other areas around the Abbey where you will soon feel at home. We have a well-stocked Library, a comfortable Sitting Room where you can spend time with other guests, if you wish, or alternatively just spend time relaxing with a favourite hobby.

Salmon-Lunch-199x300We can provide private dining facilities if you would prefer to eat alone during your stay, or it may be possible to sit with others if you wish. All diets are able to be catered for and guests have a choice from our hot and cold buffet served at lunchtime, with a choice of dinner menus served in the evening. We serve Morning Coffee with a homemade biscuit at 11.00 am and Tea in the afternoon, served with homemade cake. For snacks during your stay confectionery and biscuits are on sale in our shop.

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Elizabeth Vernon

Overall Experience

I visited Launde in the hope that my scattered mind might find some peace. I care for a husband who has dementia, and who can be quite difficult and demanding, and the demands of caring for him were crowding everything else out of my mind. I had a pile of books ready to read, of which I had only read the opening chapter or so. My family were becoming concerned and eventually I booked a short personal retreat to get things in focus I was not disappointed. I was cared for by the staff, left alone whenever I needed to be, free to evaluate my situation and spend time wandering around the beautiful grounds. Even by the end of the first day I was starting to sort out my thoughts, and to get on with the reading I so desperately needed to continue. Launde is a place of rest and healing quite apart from the gentle concern of its staff for the well-being of every single person who visits there. It is a beautiful, well appointed place to stay, in the loveliest of places. It is no wonder that Thomas Cromwell coveted the place so much. It has a magic all of its own.
11 months ago

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