According to the Northumbria Community, 'In its simplest form ‘Retreat’, means ‘to withdraw, to drawback.’ Throughout the ages, the Christian tradition has understood Retreat to be an important part of spiritual formation. That is, time consciously set aside for God, a change of focus, a deliberate act of stepping outside of normal routine by withdrawing (not running away) from the noise and pressures; the immediate and insistent claims of our social, domestic and workaday responsibilities in order to be in a quiet place where all our senses are open and ready to listen to God.'
This is a place of rest and renewal for all who want to live an authentic life. For us that has been through faith in Jesus Christ. The house is intended to be warm, welcoming and safe and allow people space to reflect and draw inspiration from nature, scripture and each other.
Sycamores is a relatively small retreat house with residential space for up to 10 people; five bedrooms, 3 double and 2 twin. It can accommodate up to 14 for day retreats .
Contact us if you are interested in any of the listed retreats on this website or in discussing using Sycamores for a small group retreat, either residential or for a day.
At one level this is very easy, there’s a Sycamore tree in the corner of the garden and several further up the valley. However, at another level it has a deep resonance with the experience of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and the change that Jesus brings as we spend time in His presence.
Once you have made initial contact by email (see Contact Us), we will ask for a call, preferably on ZOOM so we can check out your expectations and that Sycamores is the right fit for you. If it is, we will ask you to complete an application form and will begin to plan with you how your time at Sycamores might be best spent.
Prior to arriving on retreat, it will be important to begin to consider your priorities, for example, do you need rest and relaxation, space to just be with God, or do you need something more directive? Are you looking for specific answers to prayer and need time away from the business of life, to listen?
Whether you choose to come on a themed or an open retreat, you will be sharing the house with others who you may not have met before. Tim and Liz will remain in the house throughout and will endeavour to put everyone at ease, respecting privacy and confidentiality at all times. However, in our experience, we can be richly blessed through encounters with new, fellow travellers.
Liz is a palliative care nurse and palliative and end-of-life care educationalist. Qualified also as a counselling psychotherapist, Liz is interested in how adults use experience to raise self-awareness and consciously change behaviours that might have been damaging to themselves and others. Liz has worked as a lecturer for Macmillan Cancer Support and in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care at Kings College London. From 2013 to 2019 she was Director of Education and Training at St Christopher's Hospice in London. Liz now works mainly from home delivering online training for end-of-life care practitioners around the world.
Liz is married to Tim. She became a Christian when she was training to be a nurse in the late 70s. It hasn't always been plain sailing but without her faith in God, through Jesus Christ, Liz admits her life would have been without meaning or purpose.
Tim was ordained in 1996 at Southwark Cathedral, whilst employed as a detective inspector for the Met Police. During a police career of 27yrs he undertook significant roles running a large child protection team in South London and then later on secondment to the National Probation Service designed and implemented MAPPA, the national system for the management of high-risk offenders in the community. In 2006, having held honorary curacy roles in local churches within Southwark Diocese he became a prison chaplain in response to God’s prompting. He was the lead chaplain at HMP Wandsworth for over 10years before becoming a senior chaplain for the Prison Service and overseeing several chaplaincy teams across the North of England, Midlands and Wales. He retired from the Prison Service in 2020 but maintains his involvement with prison chaplaincy and resettlement by being an Adviser to the Bishop of Southwark on Prison Chaplaincy, a trustee for the local charity Yellow Ribbon, and chairing the working group for Prisons Week. He holds a Permission to Officiate for Hereford Diocese and is part of the ministry team in Church Stretton.
Tim is married to Liz. They have three adult children. They moved to Church Stretton five years ago with the intention of using their new home to welcome friends and others for refreshment and retreat. Although delayed by full-time work and the impact of COVID they have begun this year to invite people to participate in short retreats.
Open Retreats at Sycamores will run from late morning Tuesday to Friday late morning. These are semi-structured with a rhythm of morning and evening prayer using a mixture of Anglican and Celtic liturgy. Outside of these times you are encouraged to explore the local area of outstanding natural beauty and use the house and garden for rest and quiet reflection.
£250 per person (single occupancy)
£200 per person (if sharing)
All meals included.
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Sycamores will offer three more-structured retreats that fall over long weekends. Lead by Tim and Liz, they will follow a programme of liturgy, meditation, bible study and prayer surrounded by the beautiful Shropshire countryside. Places are limited. To apply to participate in one of these weekends please contact us.
£250 per person (single occupancy)
£200 per person (if sharing)
All meals included.
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In 2023 it was our great pleasure to welcome Martha and Tim Bhajjan to Sycamores. This has led to a shared vision and exciting partnership between the four of us. This summer, through June and July, we have invited them to be resident at Sycamores, to participate in the already scheduled retreats in June and to provide their own, distinct programme of weekend retreats and 6-day deep discipleship experiences.
Tim and Martha are easy to approach and use their combined God-given strengths and discipling skills to facilitate these unique discipleship experiences .
6 yrs. professional Christian Ministry Leader Coach Professional Watercolour Artist
9 yrs. ministry work in England and Israel
14 yrs. in the pastorate; M.Div.; Th.M.; Doctor in Ministry
6 yrs. professional Christian Discipleship Coach
30 yrs. designing & facilitating discipleship experiences
9 yrs. ministry work in England and Israel
B.S. Public Admin.;M.S. Family Relations; Bible School
A challenging discipleship experience for people who are already earnest followers of Jesus Christ.
Dates: July 2024 1-7, 8-14, or 22-28.
(Arrive Monday afternoon between 1–2:30pm and depart the following Sunday by 11am.)
Cost: £300 (per week, full board)
Description: FULLY HIS is an experience of the Kingdom of God together with other followers. Oneness in Christ, with all our God-given differences, is possible and is highly stimulating and powerful. And this, according to Jesus, is the evidence to the world, that the Father sent His Son (John. 17:21).
Time will be spent in engaging interactions, with options for resting and walking local paths. You will leave having been built up through our time together, and enabled to pass on to other followers, what you have learned and experienced about the reality of oneness in Christ.
A stimulating weekend, focusing in community, on the Word of God.
Dates: 31 May – 2 June 2024.
(Arrive Friday afternoon between 3:30 and 4:30pm and depart Sunday morning by 11am.)
Cost: £150 full board (bed and all meals) £75 non-residential (includes all meals)
Description: A stimulating weekend away, in a beautiful and peaceful setting, for focusing on the Word of God. This experience includes interacting together using easy-to-use online Bible resources (word search and cross-reference); as well as other tools that will be very helpful and easy to use; times of reflection; and the option of walking along local paths. It may be the most fun you have had in a while!
You will leave with new skills for finding and understanding what God, Himself, says in the Bible.
OPTION 1 - Realising God’s Beauty through Painting: For advancing Christian artists
Dates: 7–9 June 2024. (Arrive Friday afternoon, between 2:30 and 3:30pm and depart Sunday morning by 11am.)
Cost: £150 full board (bed and all meals) £75 non-residential (includes all meals)
Description: This is an encouraging weekend away, for artists who want to focus on the Beauty of God. We will find His beauty described in the Scriptures, have times of reflection and painting, and have the option of walking along wonderful local paths.
OPTION 2 - Tracking Forward with Christ: An arts and crafts retreat especially for those who do not consider themselves to be artists
Dates: 14–16 June 2024. (Arrive Friday afternoon between 2:30 and 3:30pm and depart Sunday morning by 11am.)
Cost: £150 full board (bed and all meals) £75 non-residential (includes all meals)
Description: This is a fun and meaningful time of reflecting on Scripture and then expressing what God is highlighting to you, by using bits and pieces of supplied arts and crafts materials. (The creations are not meant to be lovely but significant to you.)
Isaiah 61:3 prophesies of a time when the Sovereign Lord will ‘provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour.’
Paul says "In the autumn we see the softening light and changing beauty of the landscape, and may also reflect on changes in our lives. As we observe the dying autumn leaves, we know that in the world around there are many broken things—fractured, discarded and decomposing. But there is also much beauty: the play of light on a wall, the jewels of water on a leaf, the reflection in a puddle, the light of a fire, the smile of a friend and the kindness of a stranger. And there is also regeneration, restoration and re-purposing. We will enjoy the beauty of autumn, with options to draw and paint outside (weather permitting) or bring material or photos back to the house. You may paint from the landscape, or make a still life relating to it. You might work directly from nature, or more symbolically in relation to one of the reflective worship sessions each day, which will involve some of Paul’s own work. You might also experiment using natural materials to paint and draw, e.g. with sticks, mud, ferns and crushed leaves. Alongside this we will be reflecting on how God brings healing and beauty out of brokenness."
Paul is a conceptual artist who explores the Christian faith in relation to contemporary life, and who also makes semi-abstract images from natural and man-made forms such as flowers, water, metalwork, architecture etc—finding beauty in patterns and movement.
Arrival by 4pm on Thursday 3rd October
Leave after 11am on Sunday 6th October
Cost - £300 per person for single occupancy (full board)
£250 per person if sharing a room (full board)
Skill and experience may vary. Come and enjoy experimenting!
This is the third time I've attended this retreat and I have had the most amazing experience. It is so tranquil here, and Tim and Liz are some of the most lovely 'spiritual practising' people I have had the pleasure to meet. They have a way of explaining God which is so inclusive, that I and many members of our group are able to open the
This is the third time I've attended this retreat and I have had the most amazing experience. It is so tranquil here, and Tim and Liz are some of the most lovely 'spiritual practising' people I have had the pleasure to meet. They have a way of explaining God which is so inclusive, that I and many members of our group are able to open the door and allow God to enter. The Sycamores is such an amazing place! This my third time here, and I have experienced a sense of community and togetherness which I can sometimes find difficult to experience elsewhere.
I LOVE this place. It is the epitome of tranquility... I always feel at peace here.
Sycamore retreat is located in a beautiful valley, perfect for contemplating and reflecting with Gods beautiful countryside literally on your doorstep (bring your walking boots).
The house is fantastic and very comfortable with enough space to be with others or find some solitude.
Tim and Liz were perfect hosts and made me feel very welcom
Sycamore retreat is located in a beautiful valley, perfect for contemplating and reflecting with Gods beautiful countryside literally on your doorstep (bring your walking boots).
The house is fantastic and very comfortable with enough space to be with others or find some solitude.
Tim and Liz were perfect hosts and made me feel very welcome and at ease straight away. Food was fab too!
As facilitators of the retreat I attended, Tim and Liz were excellent. We had a clear agenda for the weekend, which was flexible and tailor made to my individual needs as the weekend progressed. I took a lot away with me from the weekend and feel that bit closer to God as a result. I would definitely recommend and will be back!
It was such a blessing to be able to take some time out on a retreat at Sycamores at a transition period in my life. The house and Liz and Tim were so warm and welcoming, it made it easy to feel relaxed and focus on listening to God. It is situated in such a beautiful area, being immersed in amazing natural beauty with great views and
It was such a blessing to be able to take some time out on a retreat at Sycamores at a transition period in my life. The house and Liz and Tim were so warm and welcoming, it made it easy to feel relaxed and focus on listening to God. It is situated in such a beautiful area, being immersed in amazing natural beauty with great views and walks from the door, just enhanced the whole experience. Liz and Tim were really helpful in supporting the retreat and provided delicious meals too. The time at Sycamores provided a special time, an oasis in a busy world, which helped give me some precious time of close connection with God. I highly recommend Sycamores Christian retreat to others thinking about taking a retreat.
Carding Mill Valley, Church Stretton, SY6 6JF, United Kingdom
Sycamore Tree is a volunteer-led victim awareness programme that teaches the principles of restorative justice and is operated through Prison Fellowship. For the best part of 10yrs Tim became central to facilitating this programme in HMP Wandsworth, witnessing a change in the thinking and attitudes of many; towards their victims but also towards themselves, those they loved and sometimes even towards those that had harmed them. Forgiving and being forgiven are truly transformational events.
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