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Retreats at Cliff College in the Peak District

The perfect location for your retreat.

A place to renew and refresh

Set in the beautiful landscape of the Peak District National Park, Cliff College is happy to welcome individuals and groups for spiritual retreat. The setting makes it an ideal place to spend time away from your normality, allowing you to rest, recharge, reflect and refocus.

During your stay, we can offer you en-suite bedrooms and on-site catering, as well as access to suggested places to journey and reflect – both on and off the site. The College is an excellent centre for those wanting to have space to think and read, walk and explore, and participate in prayer, worship, conversation and study. Although our site is set in the beautiful countryside of the Peak District, we can suggest areas to visit that have good access and our paths and accommodation are access friendly.

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Retreat Customer—

Staff were extremely helpful & friendly and the accommodation lovely – I would definitely come again.

Guided Retreats

Come and enjoy the space and facilities at Cliff College and encounter God on this holy ground. Throughout your stay you will have use of the Chapel, the Labyrinth, Library, Prayer Pod and Cliff College grounds. You are welcome to join in with the rhythm of community life at Cliff College if you wish, participating in morning prayers, midweek communion, weekly worship service and meal times.

Resources available include:

  • Retreat Boxes - which include maps, prayer resources, reflective material
  • Prayer Walks – a growing series of themed self-guided walks which include; routes, prayer prompts, scripture and views

Guided retreats include an initial meeting with a member of the Cliff College Community, plus a daily meeting for further direction, discussion, prayer etc with a member of the Cliff College Community by arrangement in advance. To find out more about this option and to book, please contact Carole Marsden, our Community Warden, on c.marsden@cliffcollege.ac.uk.

Seasonal guided retreats

Cliff College is hosting two seasonal guided retreats this winter - on 23 November 2024 and 1 March 2025 - for those who would like to participate in a guided retreat as part of a wider group.

Group retreats

It is always good to come together; to share ideas, to explore innovation and to discern next steps. We can offer your church, organisation or group excellent facilities in a beautiful setting. We have a variety of meeting spaces available, which can be used for group activities and gatherings. Please contact our conference centre on conferences@cliffcollege.ac.uk to check availability. We look forward to welcoming your group.

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I just wanted to say, on behalf of our group, how much we enjoyed our stay last week at Cliff College. The meeting room, bedrooms and hospitality were fantastic, and everyone remarked how lovely the staff and community were. We hope to come back next year.

Retreat coordinator, March 2024

Retreat main page

Self-guided retreats

Come and enjoy the space and facilities at Cliff College and encounter God on this holy ground. Throughout your stay you will have use of the Chapel, the Labyrinth, Library, Prayer Pod and Cliff College grounds. You are welcome to join in with the rhythm of community life at Cliff College if you wish, participating in morning prayers, midweek communion, weekly worship service and meal times.

Resources available include:

  • Retreat Boxes - which include maps, prayer resources, reflective material
  • Prayer Walks – a growing series of themed self-guided walks which include; routes, prayer prompts, scripture and views

To book your self-guided retreat, reserve and pay for your room through the website using the link below, and then contact Carole Marsden, our Community Warden, on c.marsden@cliffcollege.ac.uk to arrange resources and discuss your requirements.

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Double room at Cliff College

Key facilities for our retreat guests

  • Silent retreat badges available

  • Access to Chapel on request

  • Map of local area

  • Outdoor space

  • Retreat box
    Including maps of the site, local area with suggested walking routes, resources for personal prayer, a holding cross and battery candle and an overview of Cliff’s rhythm of prayer

  • Dining facilities

All our accommodation benefits from

  • TV

  • WiFi
    > 100mbs across our site

  • Tea and coffee facilities
    In all our rooms

  • Free parking on premises

  • Soap and towels

  • Desk

  • Alcohol-free site

  • En-suite bathroom
    In all our rooms

  • Disabled access

  • Manned reception
    During business hours

  • On call team available
    24 hours / 7 days

  • Hairdryers

  • Basic toiletries

  • Iron and ironing board

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Single room at Cliff College

Getting here

By Car

Cliff College is on the A623 between Calver and Baslow – junction 29 of the M1 if you’re coming from the south, or junction 34 if you’re coming from the north. Some satnav devices will direct you down Curbar Gap, which is a steep and narrow single-track road; we advise using the A623 route instead, especially in inclement weather.

By Train

The nearest train station to Cliff College is Grindleford, 3.8 miles from the College – it’s best to book a taxi from the station to the College in advance if you’re arriving this way. Alternatively, you could get the train to Chesterfield or Sheffield, and take a taxi or use local buses from there.