Christian Holiday Apartment, South Yorkshire | Charming Church Stay, Sleeps 12

Christian Holiday Apartment, South Yorkshire — Staying in a Living Piece of Church History

Eagles Retreat occupies a genuinely rare kind of holiday home: a Grade II listed former Anglican church, tucked into the small hilltop hamlet of High Hoyland between Barnsley, Wakefield and the edge of the Peak District. Long before it became two comfortable self-catering apartments, this building spent centuries as a working parish church, and that history is still written into its stonework, its ancient tower, and the quiet churchyard that surrounds it. The listing describes coursed dressed stone walls under a stone slate roof, with a short two-stage tower, a three-bay nave and a chancel with its own gabled transepts — proper parish-church proportions on a domestic, welcoming scale.

The tower is the oldest part of the church still standing, dated by a stone plaque to 1679. Its inscription reads simply “This steeple was built AD 1679 John Moor Mason Tho. Hawksworth Carpenter Gloria Deo Soli” — Latin for “to God alone be the glory” — a fitting motto for a building now offering rest and renewal to today’s clergy and church workers. The rest of the church as it stands today was substantially rebuilt in 1904–8 under the direction of the architect C. Hodgson Fowler, better known for his restoration work on cathedrals and parish churches across the north of England.

The site’s Christian roots go back much further still. Local records trace a church on this spot to around 1150, raised with funds from Adam Fitz Swain, lord of the manor of nearby Cawthorne, already mentioned on this page for its village store and tea room. For over seven centuries it served as the parish church for High Hoyland and the surrounding townships, a place of baptism, marriage and burial for generation after generation of local families. The churchyard around the building is still cared for and occasionally visited by descendants tracing family history, a gentle reminder that this was, and in many ways still is, a living part of the community rather than simply an attractive old building.

All Hallows was eventually deconsecrated as the community’s centre of worship shifted to the newer church of All Saints in Clayton West, built in the 1870s with support from the Beaumont family of Bretton Hall — the very estate that now forms the 500-acre parkland setting of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park just up the road. Fittingly, some of All Hallows’ own carved woodwork, including its old pew fronts, was carried across to furnish All Saints, so a fragment of this building’s craftsmanship is still in regular use in worship nearby today. The wider story of the church and its listing can be explored via Historic England’s own record for the building.

Staying here means sleeping, cooking and relaxing among genuine architectural history — leaded windows, ancient stone steps, and a sanctuary space still available for quiet prayer or reflection during a stay — while having Yorkshire’s sculpture, farm shops and market towns close at hand. The parish itself is now formally combined with Clayton West under a single benefice in the Diocese of Leeds, so the thread connecting All Hallows to the wider church family here has never quite been broken, even though regular services moved elsewhere long ago. For those wanting to see more of the wider region during a longer break, HolyHols lists further Christian holiday accommodation across the North East and Yorkshire.

Perfect for:

Clergy and ministry teams wanting a genuinely restful, prayerful setting
Larger family groups or small church gatherings renting the whole building
Couples or small families booking one of the two self-contained apartments
History lovers drawn to centuries-old architecture and craftsmanship
Dog owners, with pet-friendly spaces in both apartments

Location

Eagles Retreat at All Hallows, Church Lane, High Hoyland, South Yorkshire S75 4BJ

How to get there:

Road, (5 minutes from Junction 38/39 of M1)

Train – Darton (local), then Wakefield or Barnsley

Fly into Manchester or Leeds

Local Area

Eagles Retreat is a converted previous Anglican church in small hamlet hidden 5-10 minutes from Junction 38/39 of the M1. It is 20 minutes north of Sheffield and 20 minutes south of Leeds.

Since the sixth century, pilgrims have visited this spot as hallowed ground, and the gospel was preach around a wooden cross by the early missionaries.

Beautiful Walks

Surrounded by trees at the top of a hill, the panoramic countryside is perfect for walks, retreats, exploration of nature and a super-convenient place to explore further afield. There are lots of lovely public footpaths from the church, and longer local Christian walks can be organised.

We are located behind the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (500 acres of 18th century landscape) ysp.org.uk with all of its diversity right on our doorstep.

Cannon Hall Farm, Historic House & Parklands are a short walk away cannon-hall.com.

In addition Wentworth Woodhouse is nearby which also has a fantastic Garden Centre and RHS Partner Garden which is stunning. wentworthgardencentre.co.uk/pages/visit-discover

Beautiful Artwork

Eagles Retreat is custodian for the original Christian artwork of Katherine Austin, a celebrated artist and author. Each room in the church contains pictures from her vast collection, which are comforting, inspiring and thought-provoking. christart.co.uk

Local shopping, restaurants and amenities. Nearest supermarket.

The Cherry Tree, High Hoyland – Our good, friendly, local ‘pub grub’, dog and child friendly 0.4 miles, with beautiful views.

Special Occasion: Beatson House, Cawthorne; Spencer Arms, Cawthorne

Great Sandwiches, Cakes & Coffee: Cawthorne Village Store & Tea Room (Hilary’s @ Cawthorne) good for take away too!

Great Take Away Food, Whykes Sandwich Shop, Darton 2.3 miles (great meat pies!)

Great Cooked ‘Local Produce‘ Breakfast‘s: The White Bull Restaurant, Cannon Hall Farm.

1.4 miles ( The Barn Kitchen, Blacker Hall Farm 3.6 miles

Places To Visit: Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens, Pigs in the Mud, Newmillerdam Country Park, Calderdale Industrial Museum, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Wentworth Woodhouse Historic House & Gardens, Wentworth Garden Centre & RHS Partner Garden, Hepworth Gallery , National Videogame Museum, Wakefield Cathedral, Sheffield Cathedral, SMJ Falconry, Shibden Hall, Experience Barnsley Museum & Discovery Centre, National Coalmining Museum

Plus lots of other places to visit such as York with all its attractions, and Harrogate including RHS Harlow Carr.

Farm Shops With Deli Produce. Cannon Hall Farm, Cawthorne – 1.4 miles ; Blacker Hall Farm, Calder Grove 3.6 miles, Thorncliffe Farm Shop, Emley, 3.2 miles

Supermarkets: Coop Darton 2.4 miles, Coop Skelmanthorpe 2.6 miles, Coop Mapplewell 3.6 miles – biggest : ALDI – Claycliffe Rd 3.2 miles, Asda Asdale Rd, Wakefield 5.3 miles

Local Corner Shops: Costcutter Clayton West 1.4 miles, Londis (includes POST OFFICE) 1.7 miles Darton

Online Shops Who Deliver Ocado, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Deliveroo

Facilities

There are two main apartments which can be rented out simultaneously by different people. Or you can rent the entire church. Centrally heated and tastefully decorated, Eagles Retreat has an equipped kitchen in both of the main apartments which are at opposite ends of the building.

The William Morris Studio Apartment (in the chancel), so named because it houses a William Morris stained glass window of The Ascension, is open plan and sleeps upto 4 in a King bed, one single and a small single bed (from a trundle). Electric and wool blankets supplied for those who like it extra cosy as well as a selection of reading material for different ages. The oldest window (13th century) is near the doorway. The dining area has a double width breakfast bar in addition to the lovely outdoor dining area and chiminea. (Through its own entrance). The kitchen is well equipped with a fridge and freezer box, induction hob, fan oven and microwave and washer/dryer. The bathroom (vestry) has a jacuzzi bath with a proper shower over it. It has a small desk, drawers and a hanging space as storage for clothes.

The Tower Retreat is on the ground and first floor of the tower (previously the nave and base of the ancient tower). This was one of the original beacons from across the UK! It has a disability bathroom downstairs as well as a full shower room en suite adjacent to the bedroom upstairs. In the utility there is a freezer, washing machine and tumble drier, and plenty of space for pet crates, coats and boots etc. There is an upstairs lounge, cosy and comfortable seating and TV, as well as some beautiful artwork. Tower Retreat sleeps up to 4 in a King bed with two luxury Jaybee folding singles which can be assembled in the lounge area or downstairs. The kitchen is well equipped with a fridge, induction hob, fan oven and microwave. The dining area has an extendable dining table which can seat upto 12 and there is a large kitchen underneath an ancient arch. The sink is where the baptistry used to be!

Access To The Sanctuary

When you book one of the apartments, you are welcome to have a tower tour if we are available. Also if you would like to access the Sanctuary for some prayer, retreat or reflection during your stay you can do so if it is available.

Additional Accommodation The entire church (which sleeps 12) may be rented out, and at such times it includes other rooms, the first being

The Refuge:

This is the ancient tower room 30 steps up. An inordinate amount of phone lines, which come into this room, have led people to believe that this was previously used as a War Room. This sleeps two in single beds up the tower, which has tea and coffee facilities, a heater, a desk and chairs are up there also, along with a TV and reading material. In addition a caravan toilet is behind a partition for those caught short in the night! Those in the tower also can use the downstairs disability shower room.

The Idyllic Getaway, accessed from the sanctuary, sleeps two in a single and small single bed. It has a fridge, microwave and mini hob in a sideboard, and two comfortable chairs. A large shower room ensuite completes this space. There is a beautiful light in this room and it overlooks the garden outside through original leaded windows. .

The Sanctuary can act as a large lounge or retreat space/meeting area and seats 20-30 comfortably. It has a SMART TV with attached wires for a computer. There is a Clavinova, two comfortable settees, several small coffee tables, numerous dining chairs, an Amish sideboard of books for sale, and a set of architect drawers. In addition folding tables can be supplied on request and the extendible dining table from the Tower Retreat can be moved in here when church is rented out.

The entrance hall has a pew (from the local pub!) and some pictures.

The Upper Room – this is the top room of the tower (up forty ancient steps!) is and is mostly used for prayer or reflection and has four windows looking to N, S, E and W. The 13th century steps are uneven so it is best accessed by those who are fit and mobile.

The Grounds In front of the church there is a lovely patio area with chairs and tables and an abundant floral border. The large front church yard (including a war memorial) is sometimes visited by bereaved relatives, walkers and historians alike. It is still an open graveyard. The back of the church is private and we are planning a wellbeing garden here in due course, although the space is presently just grass, a few stones laid on the ground and a couple of tombs. It is surrounded by beautiful trees and shrubs and had five fruit trees starting to bud. It overlooks the back of the churchyard and in winter the views from here see across the valley.

A public footpath runs between the ‘back garden’ and the paddock, which you are also free to explore. A sextons cottage used to be on this land and we would love to see it be put back. All Hallows is an archeologists paradise!

What’s Included: All bedding included. High chair & Travel-cot on request. TV & WiFi in every room. Luxury Continental Breakfast included in price. Utilities included.

Entire Church rented out includes the main area. Price depends on high or low season.

Parking: Lay-by’s outside the church or behind gated paddock adjoining church.