We are so excited to host our very first Art & Faith Creative Retreat in the UK!  We have been planning, praying, visiting and waiting until the right time… and we can’t wait to open registration very soon for our “Gardens and Bookshops of the English Countryside” Retreat next July!

This retreat will start in London, but shortly thereafter we will leave the big city for the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales.  We’ll explore the gardens of the North, tour the “home” of Darcy, from Pride and Prejudice, and see the ancient ruins of Fountains Abbey, a World Heritage Site in North Yorkshire.  We’ll enjoy afternoon tea in places worth dreaming about, while we enjoy the rambling streets of York for 3 nights.  Then we’ll head to our very own private manor for 4 nights right in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales!  There you will meet my dear artistic friend Jane, a local who lives right on the paths of the Dales, and she’ll be teaching us how to make a beautiful treasure box to hold our memories and ephemera in. (More on her and her art coming soon!) We’ll have time to walk the Dales, explore the quaint towns with cobblestone paths and colorful banners strung across the village squares, see magnificent cathedrals and happen upon some of the most beautiful bookshops in the world!

After this relaxing time up North, we’ll take a drive back south to Oxford, England.  Home of C.S. Lewis and the Inklings.  We’ll end our retreat here for 3 nights in one of the prettiest hotels right in the heart of Oxford.  This town is very walkable, and with so much to see, you’ll have plenty of free time to explore the different universities here, as well as all the shopping streets and historical sights.  We’ll visit some of the sights together on a bike tour of Oxford, (for those able to) as well as a walking tour with a local tour guide.  This part of England is filled with history, and I just found out that my 8th great-grandfather studied at Oxford and got his Masters in theology there before he sailed to America! I can’t wait to share more about him and all of these places with you on our tour of England. Of course, we can’t leave Oxford before we tour the home and stomping grounds of C.S. Lewis, and have tea in a very special place that I think you will love too!

You will be driven back to London on the morning of the 19th for your departure home, or the next part of your journey if you are traveling.

We have prepared an incredible retreat for you, and I know this will be a special trip for those who sign up! We will have a couple of different options for joining us, so please take some time to thoroughly look through all the details below to see what best fits your time, schedule and budget.

We hope you will prayerfully consider joining us on this retreat, and we look forward to seeing what the Lord will do during our time together!

Like all retreats, we will have a theme for the retreat and have time most days for morning devotions.  Along with Jane’s class during our time at the Manor, I’ll be teaching a “traveling art journal” as we sketch, paint, and journal throughout our travels in the English countryside. We’d love to welcome you to this beautiful country as we spend time in God’s Word, explore and be inspired by the beauty of His Creation, and draw closer to Him through Art & Faith.

Won’t you join us on this very special edition of Art & Faith Creative… in the UK!

~ Art & Faith Creative Retreat ~

Gardens and Bookshops of the English Countryside

July 7 - July 19th

Here’s what’s included in the 12 Night Retreat:

• 12 Night accommodations in London, York, Yorkshire Dales & Oxford

• Welcome Reception upon arrival in London

• Creative Art projects while we tour England & the time in our private Manor

• Most Meals will be provided during the retreat, with only a few times you’ll be on your own to get a quick bite to eat before a tour, enjoy a casual night out with a new (or old) friend(s) from the retreat, or need to have a snack with you to transfer from one location to another.  Meals provided will include:  10 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 2 Afternoon Teas and 9 Dinners

• Planned Excursions throughout our time in England.  These will include:

• Day Tour of London, including the beautiful bookshops of London

• A Drive and quick stop through the Cotswolds as we make our way up towards York

• Chatsworth House - The Home & Gardens of “Darcy” from Pride & Prejudice

• Day Tour of the walled city of York, with its quaint streets and antique shops

• Fountains Abbey, a World Heritage Site, and Home of the Studley Royal Water Gardens

• Day Trip to Robin’s Hood Bay voted one of the prettiest coastal towns in all of England

• Walks in the Yorkshire Dales, exploring some of the best villages in the area

• Day Trip to “All Creatures Great and Small” village w/an adorable bookshop too!

• Day tour of Oxford with local guide (Bike Ride for those able to)

• Tour of C.S. Lewis’s home, Inklings meetings spot and burial site

• Themed Bible Study most mornings and Devotional book written by Laura

• Fun surprises and gifts throughout our time together

• Hotel and city taxes included

• Transportation from London to all accommodations and excursions (where needed)

• Plus time to relax or explore on your own

• And… an unforgettable experience you will treasure forever!

We can only accommodate a maximum of 14 women, as we will be constrained to the amount of bedrooms the Manor has.  Please note this retreat is in high demand and will likely sell out quickly.  If you would like to join us, be sure to put a calendar reminder on your phone to register when it goes LIVE.

Price Per Person/Double Occupancy for 12 Nights/13 days: $6,295*

*Airfare is not included

2nd Option:  For those who don’t have the time for a 12-night/13-day retreat, or have been to London and don’t want to spend the time in the big city, we do have the option of meeting directly in York, England. You would need to fly into Leeds, UK and take a taxi to our hotel in York.

Please Note:  This option does not include the following:

• 2 Nights’ accommodations in London

• Welcome reception

• 2 Dinners

• 1 Breakfast

• 1 Lunch

• Road Trip from London to York (that includes lunch in the Cotswolds & Chatsworth House)

Price Per Person/Double Occupancy for 10 Nights: $5,595*

*Airfare is not included

If you would like Single Occupancy, please email us via our website and we can look into the costs for single rooms at each stop on our trip. There will only be a few spaces for single occupancy, so it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

We are working hard to get our new website finished and LIVE for Registration! My goal is to have everything LIVE by Friday, September 1st  (My Birthday!!) If we can get it done sooner, we will announce that here and on social media, but Lance’s surgery is on Monday and I’m not sure how much time I will have while I’m helping him recover, so we’ve set September 1st as our goal.

If you are getting this in your email inbox, then you are on our Newsletter and will be notified when Registration is LIVE before the general public. If you have any questions about this retreat as you pray and plan for it, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I will try to answer any questions you may have before registration begins.

Have a GREAT day everyone!

Hugs,

Laura McCollough