A Haven of Peace, a Piece of Heaven
The Bield at Blackruthven
Retreat and Conference Centre

Courses and Guided Retreats
When booking program dates we ask for payment in full to confirm reservation
When Wells Run Dry - Advent themed Creative Prayer Day
30th November 2023
This is a quiet reflective workshop at the beginning of advent, that encourages participants to engage in a variety of creative ways, to reflect, imagine, express, explore ourselves and listen to the voice of God, in the safe sacred space of the Bield.
We will reflect on some of the elements of the Christmas story, spending time together, and alone in quiet with God, we will take time to notice what is speaking to us at this time.
No experience or artistic ability is needed, and all materials will be provided.
£43
Wellness Day for NHS Staff - December
1st December 2023
The last few years have been very challenging for many NHS employees. Unprecedented pressures and demands have affected energy levels and folk’s sense of wellbeing.
Heightened anxiety, stress and fatigue are common feelings, as is feeling depleted and in need of some TLC.
Why not join others from the NHS and come and spend a day at the beautiful Bield—slow down, relax and unwind?
£35 Fully booked
Soul Song - A Day Retreat for Advent
2nd December 2023
What song is stirring in your heart that you want to sing?
How does your soul magnify God?
During this day retreat we will ponder these questions with Mary’s Magnificat as our companion. Mary’s Magnificat is the oldest Advent hymn, and it is probably the most revolutionary one ever sung. It is a song in praise of the God who turns the world upside down.
£43
Seasonal Quiet Garden Days - Winter
5th December 2023
“If you stand still for a few minutes in the relentless onward rush of 21st century life you might hear a quiet but insistent undercurrent. It is the cry of our heartsfor space and time just to be, to listen to the
heartbeat of creation, to let our souls catch up. Quiet gardens offer just such longed-for oases of peace. They open up once more what all our busy-ness has buried – the precious gift of hearttime
and soul-space.” - Margaret Silf – patron of The Quiet Garden Movement
£48 per day
Journey into Healing Workshop - December 2023
16th December 2023
I’m going out to clean the pasture spring:
I’ll only stop to rake leaves away
(and wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’nt be gone long. – You come too.
In just a few lines Robert Frost has captured the essence of a Journey into Healing workshop. Participants are invited to visit the spring in their lives; to gather leaves that may have accumulated; to find some means to remove the blockage; and to do it together in a group setting. We will invite you to do your work and come together to finish it.
£48
The Nativity Icon: Treasuring these things and Pondering in our Hearts
17th January 2024
“Icons are doorways into stillness, into closeness with God.”
Anam Cara community
After the busyness of the Christmas period, we invite you to come and spend a day gazing at and praying with this richly detailed icon of the Nativity. Icon is simply the Greek word for image, but sacred icons are more than a work of art and have been called “windows on Heaven”. Icons have been used for centuries in the Eastern Orthodox church as a form of prayer. Sacred icons depict Jesus, Mary, his mother or one of the saints and they invite the viewer to communicate with the person or event depicted in the image in a prayerful way.
“The most wise Lord comes to be born,Receiving hospitality from His own creatures. Let us also receive Him”
Eastern Orthodox Hymn
£60
Enneagram Introduction Day
27th January 2024
“To see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift.” - Wrote Aldous Huxley “Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves
Based on ancient philosophic traditions, the Enneagram is a tool that describes nine different characters. This will help you understand the personality types of yourself and others.
£60 - includes lunch and hot drinks
Slow Stitching Day
1st February 2024
“There is a time for undoing and a time for stitching;
a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk”
Ecclesiastes 3:7
Come away for a day from your busy life to the Bield and enjoy exploring the art of slow stitching in the comfort of our guest lounge, sitting beside the log burning stove and working on our stitching together in silence or with music playing.
Slow stitching is the practice of hand sewing with intention and thoughtfulness. There are no rules to slow stitching, the main thing is to have fun with arranging the fabrics and to enjoy the contemplative process of hand stitching.
The focus is not on what you create as this is not The Great British Sewing Bee but rather on the thoughts that arise as you pull the needle through the fabric slowly and calmly. It can provide a space in which to process and ponder on whatever thoughts and images arise as you work slowly.
£57
Body Prayer Capacitar Wellness Taster
15th Feburary 2024
The practices help transform stress and pain deriving from illness, violence, and the stresses of daily life and open the individual up towards greater wholeness and wellbeing. As individuals get in touch
with their own source of healing and wisdom they can help others.
£20
Sacred Pauses - Praying the Hours
16th Feburary 2024
“Greet the hours
with joyful awareness.
Greet the hours
with faithful presence.
Greet the hours
with a reverential bow.
Greet the hours
with a sacred pause”
Macrina Wiederkehr
Join for us for a quiet, reflective day of observing the monastic rhythm of regular pauses for prayer. We will gather in different locations throughout the Bield for 5 pauses or 'Hours' during this day, praying a short liturgy for each pause, which will include scripture passages, readings and songs including some taken from Macrina Wiederkehr’s book ‘The Sacred Pauses’. There will also be time for walking in the grounds, working in the art room, walking the labyrinth, or simply resting in the lounge by the fire
£60
Journey into Heling Workshop
24th February 2024
I’m going out to clean the pasture spring:
I’ll only stop to rake leaves away
(and wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’nt be gone long. – You come too.
In just a few lines Robert Frost has captured the essence of a Journey into Healing workshop.
Participants are invited to visit the spring in their lives; to gather leaves that may have accumulated; to find some means to remove the blockage; and to do it together in a group setting. We will invite you to do your work and come together to finish it.
£60
Holding Space for Silence - quiet days at the Bield
15th March 2024
Why silence?
Most people have a yearning for tranquillity and peace. By taking part in a silent retreat, you will have the opportunity to draw back from the normal routines and busyness of life to reflect and allow space for new encounters.
An introduction to ways of stilling yourself and prayer materials will be provided. All ways of praying are a means of developing or deepening your relationship with God. There will also be opportunities for creative expression, if desired.
During the retreat there is an invitation to meet with a guide, who may help as a ‘sounding board’, helping to listen for God’s presence in the circumstances of your life.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
The Lord makes me lie down in green
pastures, leading me beside quiet
waters, and refreshes my soul.”
Psalm 23
£43
Going Deeper with the Enneagram
23rd March 2024
“To see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift.” - Wrote Aldous Huxley “Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves
“Know yourself”
[Socrates, Greek philosopher 470 BC 399 BC]
To know ourselves is a key to how we see the world and understand how we can relate to others. Based on ancient philosophic traditions, the Enneagram is a tool that describes nine different characters.
£60 - includes lunch and hot drinks
Seasonal Quiet Garden Days - Spring
9th April 2024
“If you stand still for a few minutes in the relentless onward rush of 21st century life you might hear a quiet but insistent undercurrent. It is the cry of our heartsfor space and time just to be, to listen to the
heartbeat of creation, to let our souls catch up. Quiet gardens offer just such longed-for oases of peace. They open up once more what all our busy-ness has buried – the precious gift of hearttime
and soul-space.” - Margaret Silf – patron of The Quiet Garden Movement
£60 per day
Body Prayer Capacitar Wellness Taster
21st April 2024
The practices help transform stress and pain deriving from illness, violence, and the stresses of daily life and open the individual up towards greater wholeness and wellbeing. As individuals get in touch
with their own source of healing and wisdom they can help others.
£20
Holding Space for Silence - quiet days at the Bield
24th-25th April 2024
Why silence?
Most people have a yearning for tranquillity and peace. By taking part in a silent retreat, you will have the opportunity to draw back from the normal routines and busyness of life to reflect and allow space for new encounters.
An introduction to ways of stilling yourself and prayer materials will be provided. All ways of praying are a means of developing or deepening your relationship with God. There will also be opportunities for creative expression, if desired.
During the retreat there is an invitation to meet with a guide, who may help as a ‘sounding board’, helping to listen for God’s presence in the circumstances of your life.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
The Lord makes me lie down in green
pastures, leading me beside quiet
waters, and refreshes my soul.”
Psalm 23
£150
Body Prayer Capacitar Wellness Taster
13th May 2024
The practices help transform stress and pain deriving from illness, violence, and the stresses of daily life and open the individual up towards greater wholeness and wellbeing. As individuals get in touch
with their own source of healing and wisdom they can help others.
£20
Holding Space for Silence - quiet days at the Bield
21st May 2024
Why silence?
Most people have a yearning for tranquillity and peace. By taking part in a silent retreat, you will have the opportunity to draw back from the normal routines and busyness of life to reflect and allow space for new encounters.
An introduction to ways of stilling yourself and prayer materials will be provided. All ways of praying are a means of developing or deepening your relationship with God. There will also be opportunities for creative expression, if desired.
During the retreat there is an invitation to meet with a guide, who may help as a ‘sounding board’, helping to listen for God’s presence in the circumstances of your life.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
The Lord makes me lie down in green
pastures, leading me beside quiet
waters, and refreshes my soul.”
Psalm 23
£43
Holding Space for Silence - quiet days at the Bield
25th-26th June 2024
Why silence?
Most people have a yearning for tranquillity and peace. By taking part in a silent retreat, you will have the opportunity to draw back from the normal routines and busyness of life to reflect and allow space for new encounters.
An introduction to ways of stilling yourself and prayer materials will be provided. All ways of praying are a means of developing or deepening your relationship with God. There will also be opportunities for creative expression, if desired.
During the retreat there is an invitation to meet with a guide, who may help as a ‘sounding board’, helping to listen for God’s presence in the circumstances of your life.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
The Lord makes me lie down in green
pastures, leading me beside quiet
waters, and refreshes my soul.”
Psalm 23
£150
Seasonal Quiet Garden Days - Summer
9th July 2024
“If you stand still for a few minutes in the relentless onward rush of 21st century life you might hear a quiet but insistent undercurrent. It is the cry of our heartsfor space and time just to be, to listen to the
heartbeat of creation, to let our souls catch up. Quiet gardens offer just such longed-for oases of peace. They open up once more what all our busy-ness has buried – the precious gift of hearttime
and soul-space.” - Margaret Silf – patron of The Quiet Garden Movement
£60 per day
Journey into Heling Workshop
13th July 2024
I’m going out to clean the pasture spring:
I’ll only stop to rake leaves away
(and wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’nt be gone long. – You come too.
In just a few lines Robert Frost has captured the essence of a Journey into Healing workshop.
Participants are invited to visit the spring in their lives; to gather leaves that may have accumulated; to find some means to remove the blockage; and to do it together in a group setting. We will invite you to do your work and come together to finish it.
£60
Holding Space for Silence - quiet days at the Bield
2nd August 2024
Why silence?
Most people have a yearning for tranquillity and peace. By taking part in a silent retreat, you will have the opportunity to draw back from the normal routines and busyness of life to reflect and allow space for new encounters.
An introduction to ways of stilling yourself and prayer materials will be provided. All ways of praying are a means of developing or deepening your relationship with God. There will also be opportunities for creative expression, if desired.
During the retreat there is an invitation to meet with a guide, who may help as a ‘sounding board’, helping to listen for God’s presence in the circumstances of your life.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
The Lord makes me lie down in green
pastures, leading me beside quiet
waters, and refreshes my soul.”
Psalm 23
£43
Holding Space for Silence - quiet days at the Bield
3rd - 6th September 2024
Why silence?
Most people have a yearning for tranquillity and peace. By taking part in a silent retreat, you will have the opportunity to draw back from the normal routines and busyness of life to reflect and allow space for new encounters.
An introduction to ways of stilling yourself and prayer materials will be provided. All ways of praying are a means of developing or deepening your relationship with God. There will also be opportunities for creative expression, if desired.
During the retreat there is an invitation to meet with a guide, who may help as a ‘sounding board’, helping to listen for God’s presence in the circumstances of your life.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
The Lord makes me lie down in green
pastures, leading me beside quiet
waters, and refreshes my soul.”
Psalm 23
£346
Journey into Heling Workshop
21st September 2024
I’m going out to clean the pasture spring:
I’ll only stop to rake leaves away
(and wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’nt be gone long. – You come too.
In just a few lines Robert Frost has captured the essence of a Journey into Healing workshop.
Participants are invited to visit the spring in their lives; to gather leaves that may have accumulated; to find some means to remove the blockage; and to do it together in a group setting. We will invite you to do your work and come together to finish it.
£60
Seasonal Quiet Garden Days - Autumn
1st October 2024
“If you stand still for a few minutes in the relentless onward rush of 21st century life you might hear a quiet but insistent undercurrent. It is the cry of our heartsfor space and time just to be, to listen to the
heartbeat of creation, to let our souls catch up. Quiet gardens offer just such longed-for oases of peace. They open up once more what all our busy-ness has buried – the precious gift of hearttime
and soul-space.” - Margaret Silf – patron of The Quiet Garden Movement
£60 per day
Enneagram Introduction Day
5th October 2024
“To see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift.” - Wrote Aldous Huxley “Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves
Based on ancient philosophic traditions, the Enneagram is a tool that describes nine different characters. This will help you understand the personality types of yourself and others.
£60 - includes lunch and hot drinks
Body Prayer Capacitar Wellness Taster
19th October 2024
The practices help transform stress and pain deriving from illness, violence, and the stresses of daily life and open the individual up towards greater wholeness and wellbeing. As individuals get in touch
with their own source of healing and wisdom they can help others.
£20
Going Deeper with the Enneagram
2nd November 2024
“To see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift.” - Wrote Aldous Huxley “Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves
“Know yourself”
[Socrates, Greek philosopher 470 BC 399 BC]
To know ourselves is a key to how we see the world and understand how we can relate to others. Based on ancient philosophic traditions, the Enneagram is a tool that describes nine different characters.
£60 - includes lunch and hot drinks
Journey into Heling Workshop
30th November 2024
I’m going out to clean the pasture spring:
I’ll only stop to rake leaves away
(and wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’nt be gone long. – You come too.
In just a few lines Robert Frost has captured the essence of a Journey into Healing workshop.
Participants are invited to visit the spring in their lives; to gather leaves that may have accumulated; to find some means to remove the blockage; and to do it together in a group setting. We will invite you to do your work and come together to finish it.
£60
Seasonal Quiet Garden Days - winter
3rd December 2024
“If you stand still for a few minutes in the relentless onward rush of 21st century life you might hear a quiet but insistent undercurrent. It is the cry of our heartsfor space and time just to be, to listen to the
heartbeat of creation, to let our souls catch up. Quiet gardens offer just such longed-for oases of peace. They open up once more what all our busy-ness has buried – the precious gift of hearttime
and soul-space.” - Margaret Silf – patron of The Quiet Garden Movement