Hospitality

01300 341345 hilfieldssf@franciscans.org.uk

The Friary, Hilfield, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7BE

Donate Registered Charity Number 236464

We welcome people to come and stay with us for prayer, retreat, study, a break away from usual routine, to share something of our Franciscan life together and even helping with the washing up! Guests are welcome to join us for services in the chapel but no-one should feel under pressure to do so. A Community Member is often available to talk to if you are seeking advice or friendship. We don’t run the place as a hotel business and we make no fixed charge for staying but we do suggest the level of donation that we need to cover our costs for your stay and we ask you to recompense us financially if you are able to. If you can’t then please speak with Suzi in the office who will try to help. We also welcome group and individual day guests.

Safeguarding of Children. Children should be supervised at all times either by parents or guardians, a Community member or the Guardian (if the child is visiting alone such as part of a college placement), with written permission from the parents or guardian.

Please note that during Covid Restrictions we may have to limit or cancel bookings as required by the government regulations.

The Accommodation

We have two kinds of accommodation: Leo Guest House where we offer full-board accommodation and two self-catering houses: Bernard House and Juniper House. Enquiries and bookings for all three houses can be made via the Guest Co-ordinator in the Friary office on 01300 341741 or email hilfieldssf@franciscans.org.uk You can also fill in the booking form below after discussing availability with the Guest Co-ordinator.

All the houses use our biomass system for heating and hot water. Much of our electricity is generated by solar panels. Visit our Sustainability page to find out more.

We welcome guests from Tuesdays to Sunday afternoons but not overnight on Sundays or Mondays because it’s the Community time off. Click on the images below to find out more about the houses.

Day Guests – groups or individuals

We welcome day guests to enjoy the Friary, walk in the beautiful grounds, pray in the Chapel and use the great facilities below.

Recreation Room

This lovely and comfortable room is just right for a get-together or meetings. There is a pull-down projector screen, hearing aid loop system, speaker system. Phone 01300 341741 for more details.

Craft Room

This well-equipped craft room is available for groups to use by arrangement. This is where the Craft weeks take place. Tea and coffee facilities. Phone 01300 341741 for more details.

Poustinia

This special place was beautifully built by Jonathan a Community member. There’s nothing but peace and quiet, and a log burner but most importantly – NO electricity. Phone 01300 341741 for more details.

Accessibility

We have a room for disabled guests on the ground floor in Francis House. There are two ground floor rooms in Leo Guest House. There is also one ground floor room in Bernard House and one in Juniper House but these can be harder to book because groups who book these houses often take them.

The bathroom facilities are suitable for people who have a mobility requirement. The doors are not strictly the recommended width but we find that wheelchair users can usually manage them. There are ramps to most areas of the Friary.

Please contact us for more information about access at Hilfield before you come to stay.

Donations

The Friary retreats for guests are run purely on donations and we rely on those to keep the friary open and maintain the accommodation and grounds. We have slightly increased our suggested donations from 26th July 2022. We estimate that it costs us around £50 per day per guest for full board and lodging in the Guest House (more than this if you have come for an organised course or retreat). For those who are self-catering in Juniper or Bernard Houses we suggest a donation of £30 per night or £15 if unwaged.

We suggest a £15 to £20 donation for a day guest who eats with us and £10 to £15 for a guest who brings a packed lunch.

We make no charge for your stay at the Friary, but we are grateful to receive your donation to cover these costs and to benefit from Gift Aid if you pay Income Tax. If you are able to offer more than this it can help those who can only afford to give less.

We don’t want anyone to be prevented from coming here on account of their financial situation and we leave it to your judgement and your generosity as to what you can give. Please contact the Guest Coordinator who will work something out with you.

These suggested donations can be multiplied up for groups and do not include an additional donation for the time of a Brother or Community Member to lead a quiet day.

Dog Policy

We regret that we cannot welcome dogs along with resident guests while staying at the Friary Guest House, Bernard House or Juniper House. The Friary grounds hold many new scents, experiences and temptations for dogs such as sheep, children, badgers, cats, newly planted flowers and vegetables, guests to name but a few. Canine instincts may be awoken in the most docile and well-mannered pet! We ask guests not to bring their dogs to stay. Day visitors are asked to keep their dogs on their leads at all times. If you leave your dogs in your car, please remember to check on them hourly, park in the shade and leave enough ventilation.