01300 341345 hilfieldssf@franciscans.org.uk
The Friary, Hilfield, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7BE
Donate Registered Charity Number 236464
Hilfield Friary
Welcome to our Anglican Franciscan Friary in rural Dorset
Reconnecting to the Sacred in Nature
Feeling nature deprived? Struggling to be hopeful in the midst of the ecological crisis?
For more information about these 2 weekends at Hilfield Friary led by Mike Mullins (24th to 26th April and 26th to 28th June) please click here and you will be taken to the Programme Page: https://www.hilfieldfriary.org.uk/programme/
Please note that these 2 weekends are booked directly with Mike rather than by the usual Friary booking system.
Message from the Spirit of Francis website: Each year on 4th October, Christians and many others around the world celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi- the joyful friar whose life of simplicity, compassion, and kinship with all creation continues to inspire, eight centuries on. The Feast is a day to say thank you for this vision of hope – to remember that faith is about relationship: with God, with one another, and with the Earth itself.
In October 2026 we will mark 800 years since St Francis’s death – not as a moment of mourning, but of renewal. The anniversary invites us to walk again in his footsteps: to live simply, act justly, rebuild what is broken, and recognise Christ’s presence in every person and every part of creation.
We would love you to visit the Spirit of St Francis website: https://www.spiritoffrancis.com/ to find out about the Pilgrimages and events. The interactive Advent Calendar needs to be seen!
You can also download the On New Roads, 2026 Franciscan Peace Pilgrimage leaflet.
There is a Franciscan Lent Book for 2026 which you can order via Suzi at Hilfield called ‘Lent-Scapes; Landscapes of Penance, Peace and Reconciliation’, costing £10 plus postage and packing.
Hilfield Vision Statement
In our daily living we aspire to be:
Rooted – we seek to live simply and gratefully, caring for the land that we have been entrusted with.
Christian – following Christ in the way of St Francis we care for the poor and marginalised
of our society and all of creation.
Family – an open and inclusive community that welcomes all people and creation.
Adopted by the Community on 4th September 2018
“As a Franciscan community, we follow the marks of humility, love and joy. This shapes the culture we try to live out. We are deeply committed to being an inclusive and safe space for everyone, whatever their background, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, gender identity, disability, mental health, neurodiversity or faith. Our community members are very diverse and we seek to live alongside and to love and learn from each other in all our differences.
To help maintain this culture of inclusivity and allow all our community members and guests to feel safe, we expect all our guests to be kind, respectful (including respecting people’s preferred pronouns), open to learning, and generous to everyone they engage with.
While the community is a Christian, Franciscan friary, we welcome people of all faiths and none, as well as Christians from all kinds of church backgrounds. You are welcome here whatever your feelings or practices of faith so long as you are respectful to those who might be different.
Our policy is that we do not tolerate any discriminatory or aggressive behaviour or speech and, in extreme cases, we may ask guests to leave if they are being especially disruptive or causing the Friary to feel unsafe for others.”
Donations
Hilfield and the wider Society of St Francis rely totally on donations for our income. The excess income generated at Hilfield supports SSF houses without their own income generation. You can Gift Aid your donation too. Simply fill in the online form or download the form, fill it in, scan and then email it to us or post it to us.
We are delighted to offer standing order donors complimentary Franciscan Magazines.
Please visit our Donate Page.
Hilfield Timetable
We are on Facebook
Visit Hilfield Friary’s Facebook page for lots of up-to-date news and photos. Community Member Ellie Stephenson is doing a wonderful job!!!
Sponsor a Hilfield Sewing Machine
hilfieldssf@franciscans.org.ukWould you like to sponsor one of our sewing machines. They are heavily used by our guest crafters and need MOTs every year. It usually costs around £50 per machine even though Suzu has sorted out a good deal. If you would like to sponsor please contact Suzi on 01300 341345 or email her at hilfieldssf@franciscans.org.uk
Would you like to subscribe to our mailing list?
Would you like to subscribe to our mailing list for quarterly Hilfield Update newsletters and events?
Phone Sara at Hilfield on 01300 342311 or email her at passf@franciscans.org.uk
All information is held on a secure database. We do not share any information.
Click on the images below to visit the Hospitality, Programme, and News and Events pages
