Lee Abbey Devon is a Christian Community of around 90 people from all over the world: nineteen different nationalities. The Community also represents many diverse cultures and age groups.

They bring with them a wide variety of traditions, worship styles and experiences which add to the rich tapestry that makes up the Community. At Lee Abbey we recognise that people matter and that relationships matter. Being in community helps you face relationships in a real and not a superficial way. A visit to Lee Abbey gives people a real insight and an encouragement to go deeper into community.

The 280-acre estate is located in the rugged, beautiful and dramatic Exmoor National Park. The woodlands, moorlands, streams, farmland and coastline offer to our guests the opportunity to connect with God’s creation.

Sometimes you need a retreat or holiday on your own for physical or spiritual renewal — perhaps a break from hectic home life or a sabbatical from work.

Lee Abbey is a place where many people choose to come alone (or with a friend or partner), feel welcomed, enjoy the tranquility, and gain a new perspective on life and God.

Whether you’re on a men’s weekend, a women’s weekend, a guided or silent retreat, a creative event or a walking holiday, you can choose to participate in as much or as little of the programme as you want, and decide for yourself whether to simply relish the moments alone, or to make new friends.

Single rooms are available, including some with en-suite, but these are popular so book early. There are also a variety of beautiful twin and triple rooms which we book people into together if they are happy to share with someone of their own gender. (Couples and families can of course share a room as well.)

Things to note

Check-in is from 4.00 pm on the day of arrival and check-out is by 10.00 am on the last day (3.30 pm on Fri-Sun weekends). Evening meals are at 7.00 pm on Fridays and 6.30 pm on other arrival days.
Smoking is not allowed in any of our accommodation.
We cannot allow pets in the House or in self catering units. If you need to bring a guide dog, please tell us in advance.
There is no mobile phone signal around the Main House on any network. We don’t offer wireless Internet access.
Towels are provided in all rooms in both the House and the Beacon.
Please bring a portable baby alarm if you need one.
Our rugged landscape means almost all walks we organise will involve moderate ascents and descents. Please bring appropriate footwear. If you are unsure about your ability to complete any walk, check with Host Team on the day.
Sat-nav users: Many devices will direct you via Woody Bay, but won’t tell you that it is a narrow single-track road! To ensure you stay on larger roads, set the sat-nav to direct you via Lynton.

Other things to note

As part of our desire to be God’s welcome, our programmes are open to all of every background, regardless of race, culture, gender or religious affi liation. Lee Abbey Fellowship is a Christian charity to which the exemption for religious organisations in paragraph 2 of Schedule 23 to the Equality Act 2010 applies; so please note, when booking accommodation, that restrictions on the sharing of bedrooms apply.

Although the vast majority of programmes run as advertised, we reserve the right to make changes to the speaker, title or programme content where it may occasionally become necessary. If these changes are significant, we will inform those already booked.

Personal information we collect when booking is used for Lee Abbey purposes only, and is not passed on to others. If you wish to have your details removed from our system, please contact the Bookings Office. We may occasionally take photographs/video during your stay, to be used for our publicity, both in print and on our website.

What we believe

crosses and gorse“Nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change.” (Douglas Adams)

Jesus challenges people. He tells us that the real way to be fulfilled is to put ourselves out for each other instead of fighting for Number One. When he was here on earth, many people didn’t like the sound of it. But he gave us a radical idea of how the world really works, and offers us direct help every day from the loving Father who made it.

So where is true and lasting fulfilment to be found? Become successful, and soon the pressure of people prying at your life makes you cave in. Become rich, and soon all the pleasure of buying something you’ve saved for is gone and you just worry about who will steal your money. Aim just to be a “good person”, and soon you wonder why you bother being good. People only take advantage of it, and after all, who said we had to be good?

Robbie Williams would agree about the money:

“I’m loaded, I can buy anything I want and everyone thinks I must have such a brilliant life, but it’s horrible.”

Then how on earth can we be satisfied inside?

Jesus pointed out what nobody else noticed, not even the religious leaders at the time! “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are–no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.” (see the whole bit from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount here in the Message translation of the Bible)

But Jesus did far more than just teach, and was far more than simply an example. He just couldn’t stand by and watch people getting things so wrong and running themselves into the ground. They were never going to earn themselves the perfection that God wants for people, so Jesus came to put things right. He shared our life, took the punishment we deserve, died in our place, and rose again, so that we could be made perfect and know God.

The truth is, God loves you so much that if you’d been the only person alive, Jesus would still have gone through that agnonising torture just to save you.

You don’t have to be perfect to get to know God. You don’t even have to be good. You just have to realise that there will be a restlessness inside until you know God, ask him to forgive you for not putting him first, and run into his arms, where you’ll find an unconditional welcome. And he’ll carry you the rest of the way and show you what real life is like.

Perfection will only come at the end when all the evil that’s making us and the rest of the world suffer now will be gone. Defeated. Isn’t that worth living for? Yes, one day he’ll make all things new!

God longs for you to know him. If you don’t have that knowledge, why not ask him to show you? He loves you far too much to turn you away.

This is at the heart of what we believe here at Lee Abbey, and it’s God’s love, God’s power and God’s call that have kept us together and focussed on his vision for almost 60 years. Lee Abbey is no ancient monastery – it’s a living international Christian community that tries to model something of what a Jesus-centred life can be like today.

That’s why our vision statement is ‘Communicating Christ Through Relationships’. We’d love you to share this experience with us!

Lee Abbey

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