As God welcomes us to share the life of the Kingdom so we seek to share that welcome with those whom we meet or who come to us – in humility, generosity and compassion.
Our Houses
Some of our larger houses have rooms for guests, both individuals and groups, who come for rest, retreat or to share in the daily rhythm of the community. Smaller houses have either limited or no room for overnight stays, but all houses are glad to welcome visitors to share in the daily prayer, or to seek guidance and encouragement in their Christian journey.
Rural Houses
Alnmouth SSF
A beautiful house set on a hill overlooking the sea was built originally as a private dwelling in the early 20th Century. The main ministry today remains that of hospitality and also the house where new men are welcomed to try their vocation with SSF.
We host open garden days and other events in the Friary garden. From time to time brothers from this house lead quiet days, retreats and preach in other places, as well as pastoral work in the local area for example street pastoring and visiting the local prison.
Chapel Times:
- Mon: Evening Prayer 5pm
- Tue, Wed, Sat: Morning Prayer 7am, Midday Prayer followed by Mass 12pm, Evening Prayer 5pm, Compline 9pm
- Thu: Morning Prayer 7am, Midday Prayer followed by Mass 12pm, Evening Prayer 5pm, Exposition 5:30pm
- Fri: Morning Prayer 7am, Mass 8am, Evening Prayer 5pm, Compline 9pm
- Sun: Morning Prayer 8am, Mass 8:30am, Midday Prayer 12:30pm, Evening Prayer 5pm, Exposition 5:30pm
Accessibility: There is step free access into the Friary and a lift to reach the first floor. There are two disable access toilets on the ground floor and one bathroom on the first floor.
Transport Links: There is a small amount of parking space outside the Friary. The train station is 1 mile away and the X18 bus stops outside the Friary.
Individuals and groups are welcome to visit with access to our library and chapel. Please contact us before arriving.
Visit Us: Tuesday to Saturday
Catering: Day guests bring their own lunch or can join us in the refectory if space is available. We can cater for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free diets if told in advance.
Recommended Donations: We recommend a £10 donation for a quiet day or £15 for a quiet day with lunch.
We welcome guests to participate in our life for up to a week. We have 7 single rooms and 2 double rooms. Shower and bathroom facilities are shared. Guests also have access to our shared tea points for refreshments, in addition to meals in the refectory.
Please contact us to arrange your stay.
Visit Us: Monday 4pm to Friday 10am, Friday 3pm to Sunday 2pm or Monday to Sunday.
Catering: We can cater for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free diets if told in advance.
Recommended Donations: We recommend a donation of £50 per day.
Glasshampton SSF
Chapel Times: Morning prayer 7 am, Mass 8 am, Midday prayer 12:15 pm, Evening prayer 5:30 pm, Compline 9 pm.
Services Offered: Spiritual guidance can be arranged during your stay or in advance.
Accessibility: Three of our bedrooms have step-free access but there is one step in the guest wing to reach the ground floor bathroom, kitchenette and guest common room. A ramp can be provided if required.
Transport Links: There is a very small amount of parking space outside the Friary and you can reach us by public transport from Worcester (except on Sunday’s and Bank Holidays). For detailed transport information click here.
Individuals and groups of up to 8 people are welcome to visit with access to our library, chapel and garden. Individual day guests are also provided with their own room. Please contact us before arriving.
Visit Us: Wednesday to Saturday
Catering: Individual day guests join us for lunch. We can cater for most diets if told in advance. Day groups are self-catered with tea and coffee provided.
Recommended Donations: We recommend a £15 donation for an individual day guest or £5 per person for day groups.
We have space for 5 residential guests. Please contact us to arrange your stay.
Visit Us: Tuesday PM – Monday AM (minimum 2 nights stay)
Catering: We can cater for most diets if told in advance. All meals are in silence.
Recommended Donations: We recommend a donation of £60 per day.
Hilfield SSF
In our daily living we aspire to be:
Rooted – we seek to live simply and gratefully, caring for the Friary land that we have been entrusted with.
Christian – Following Christ in the way of St Francis we care for the poor & marginalized of our society and all of creation.
Family – An open and inclusive community that welcomes all people and creation.
Chapel Times: Morning Prayer 7:30am, Midday Prayer 12pm followed by Mass (except Sun 8:30am Mass and 12:30pm Midday Prayer), Evening Prayer 5:15pm, Night prayer 9pm (except Thu 8:15pm, Sat 8:45pm).
Services Offered: Spiritual direction by arrangement in advance or during your stay.
Accessibility: We have 5 ground floor rooms and 3 accessible bathrooms. There are ramps to most areas of the Friary.
Transport Links: Lots of parking space available as well as an electric car charging point. We are happy to collect guests from local railway stations or bus stops at mutually convenient times. We ask for a donation of £6 each way, to cover costs.
Individuals and groups are welcome to visit with access to our library, guest common room and hermitage.
Visit Us: Tuesday to Saturday, and Sunday morning.
Catering: Day guests should bring a packed lunch or can join us in the refectory for lunch if agreed in advance. We can cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, diabetic and most other diets with guidance.
Recommended Donations: £10 per guest if self-catering, £15 if joining us for lunch.
We have 23 rooms available and we can accommodate up to 31 people. Self-catering is possible. Please contact us to arrange your stay.
Visit Us: Tuesday to after lunch on Sunday
Catering: We can cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, diabetic and most other diets with guidance.
Recommended Donations: £50 per day fully catered and £25 per day for self-catered.
Urban Houses
Leicester CSF
The Sisters’ house in Leicester is a former Victorian pub with a community project on the ground floor, a chapel of the Parish in what was the beer cellar and a flat on the first and second floors where they live. The building is in the middle of an area of social housing opposite a park and 10 minutes walk from the city centre.
Most of what the sisters do is outside the flat including chaplaincy at the Queens Theological Foundation in Birmingham, a multi denominational ministry and mission training college, and volunteering locally on the Estate and further afield.
Guests: We do not provide accommodation for guests.
Services Offered: Please contact us in advance if you wish to join us for Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer services which normally take place on weekdays at 8.30am and 6pm.
Accessibility: Our flat is on the first and second floors with no lift access.
Transport: We are 15 minutes walk from the coach stop at St Margaret’s Bus Station and 25 minutes walk from Leicester Rail Station.
Plaistow SSF
The House of Divine Compassion, situated in the heart of Plaistow, East London, is home to brothers and men and women in particular need. This a vibrantly multi-cultural area, but also one of the poorest parts of London. We are blessed with a beautiful garden – a place of sanctuary for many who come to visit. The chapel is situated within the garden.
It is also the busy hub of a network of local relationships known as Helping Hands, which provides support and friendship to many people in the area.
All of us share in the care and support of our residents as well the daily prayer and the practical work of looking after the house and garden. The brothers are also involved in local care projects, theological education and spiritual accompaniment.
Chapel Times: Morning prayer at 7am; Eucharist (Tue-Fri) at 8am; Midday at 12pm; Evening prayer at 5pm; Night prayer at 8pm. On Saturday offices are said privately.
Accessibility: There is wheelchair access to the garden and the chapel. The main house, a listed building, is difficult for those with limited mobility.
Transport: We are well served by public transport. Canning Town station on the Jubilee Line and Plaistow station on the District and Hammersmith and City Line are the closest tube stations. From Canning Town take the 5, 115, 300 and 330 buses – five stops to Balaam St. From Plaistow take the 241 – six stops to Barking Road. Our house, 42 Balaam St, is next door to the (now redundant) Balaam Leisure Centre. There is no parking at the house, and restrictions on parking in the area 10.00 – 14.00 Monday – Friday.
If you wish to visit or stay with us please contact us in advance of arriving. There is currently a building site on one side of us which means that our garden is not always an undisturbed space.
Day Guests: We have a sitting room which is suitable for meetings of up to 12 people from Monday to Friday. A tea and coffee-making facility is available. We welcome individuals to share in our prayer and to use the garden as a place of reflection and relaxation. We are not normally able to invite people to meals.
Residential Guests: We have one spare room – fairly basic accommodation alongside brothers and residents, and those staying with us are welcome to share in our meals.
Recommended Donations: We make no charge and do not recommend a level of donation, but we are grateful for any contribution to the life and ministry of the house that people can offer.
Birmingham SSF
The Birmingham friary is located in an area of social deprivation about a mile and a half northwest of the city centre. It is home to Brothers and several destitute asylum seekers. We aim to provide a safe home and a measure of encouragement and stability for vulnerable men negotiating the asylum process.
Guests: Due to the nature of our ministry we do not provide accommodation for guests or receive day visitors.
Services Offered: One Brother offers spiritual direction.
Accessibility: Step free but no disabled access toilet.
Transport: Parking is available on the street and there are good bus links to the city.
Southwark CSF
Chapel Times:
Mon – Fri 8.00 Morning Prayer; 12.30 Midday Prayer; 6.00 Evening Prayer; 7.30 Night Prayer.
Thursday 8.00 Morning Prayer and Eucharist combined.
Sunday 8.30 Morning Prayer 5.30 Evening Prayer 7.30 Night Prayer
If you aren’t staying with us but would like to join us for services please contact us to make arrangements.
Accessibility: We regret that the house is not wheelchair accessible.
Transport: We are in central London, in the Congestion Zone, with excellent public transport links. Southwark station on the Jubilee Line and Waterloo station on the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern and Waterloo and City Line are the closest tube stations. Busses 40 and 63 stop at Pocock Street. On street parking is limited to permit holders 8.30 – 18.30 Monday – Friday, but if
necessary, vouchers for on street parking can be purchased.
If you wish to visit or stay with us please contact us in advance of arriving. Guests are welcome to worship with the community.
Day Guests: We welcome individuals and groups for the day or for the evening. There is a large lounge which can fit up to 17 people, a smaller meeting room which can fit up to 8 people, as well as the chapel. Hot drinks and biscuits are provided for day guests.
Residential Guests: We have three rooms for resident guests: single rooms on the first and second floors, and a double in the library on the ground floor. Resident guests eat with the community, please discuss any dietary requirements when booking.
Recommended Donations:
Residential guests – £50 for full board, £40 for bed & breakfast.
Day guests – £15 for individuals, £40 for groups up to 5 (per day/evening), £50 for groups of 6-10 (per day/evening), £80 for groups of 11+ (per day/evening).
Edinburgh SSF (St David's Friary)
The Brothers of St David’s Friary serve one of the poorest communities in Edinburgh and are based in St David’s Scottish Episcopal Church where one of the Brothers is the Priest-in-Charge. They assist at various Foodbanks and partner with various community initiatives.
All Services take place in St David of Scotland Scottish Episcopal Church
(Royston Mains Place, Edinburgh, EH5 1LH)
Visitors are strongly encouraged to contact the Brothers by clicking here to confirm Office and Eucharist times before visiting
Sunday:
Morning Prayer 9am
Holy Eucharist 10.30am
Midday Office 12pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
Tuesday:
Morning Prayer 9am
Holy Eucharist 5pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
Compline 9pm
Wednesday:
Morning Prayer 9am
Holy Eucharist 10.30am
Evening Prayer 5pm
Compline 9pm
Thursday:
Morning Prayer 9am
Holy Eucharist 11am
Evening Prayer 5pm
Compline 9pm
Friday:
Morning Prayer 9am
Midday Office 12pm
Holy Eucharist 5pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
Compline 9pm
Saturday:
Morning Prayer 9am
Midday Office 12pm
Holy Eucharist 12.15pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
Compline 8.30pm
We have one guest room which is available to Sisters and Brothers and people known to the Brothers.
Email address: click here
Postal address: St David’s Friary, 189 Crewe Road North, Edinburgh, EH5 2NT
Telephone: (0131) 273 1640