A Quaker owned retreat center outside of Philly …read more.. I came for a holistic nurses retreat for a four day session- also slept here for 3 nights. Our conference meeting center was at Brinton house - on one side of the campus. I also stayed overnight in Britton House as well . Some others stayed at Firbank on the other side of the campus near the main house Main house is where the meals are served There is a path that circles around the campus approximately a mile around that is nice to take . You can see key features like the Beech Tree, a tower, organic garden, wetlands etc Lots of lovely flowers , tree species and insects to see - like bees and butterflies. This place is great if you are into biology and studying trees etc . It's a nice retreat place . Quiet , peaceful and delicious organic food There are no TVs which is nice to detox . There is WiFi if you need to connect but I did a social media detox while I was there It is a scent free facility as well - no candles , perfumes , sprays etc Rooms or dorm style or you have a private room. Rooms are rustic and no frills but clean. They provide linens and towels . Pillows were very flat and bed can be at times uncomfortable. Yoga and stretching helped me . Although I liked my shared room with a private bathroom - the wood floor was noisy - made noise with every step. I saw others with carpet floor . But I liked the view from my room and the desk inside was nice. Meals were at set times Breakfast 730-830 Lunch 12-1pm Dinner 6-7pm They had chicken/poultry/ fish option as well As vegetarian and vegan and gluten free options Bug spray is needed for walks especially in summer - hot and humid days . They have an art room with small donations if you use the space There is a library but I didn't go They have an organic Garden and a small grass labyrinth I liked the wetland pond area near Brinton house - so pretty . The path is a wood chipped path for most of the path- some of it is gravel. And the path is slightly confusing in a few areas but you figure it out.it appears larger in the map than what it really is

Short version: it's like a contemplative year-round summer camp for grownups, only the food is…read morereally good. Insanely long version: Last month, after wrapping up a few very stressful months on a difficult job, I was at a sort of crossroads in my life. I was looking for somewhere to go where I could clear my head, relax, and spend a few days living simply and reflecting on what was really important to me. Some people might go camping at a time like this, but I don't have a tent or a sleeping bag, and it's cold out, and long periods of solitude don't really agree with me. Also I'm small and clumsy, and could not likely defend myself effectively against a bear. What to do? Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered hearing about Pendle Hill. It's a Quaker retreat and study center, so I must have heard of it at some point while at my Quaker school. I looked at their website and decided to check it out for a couple of days-- not a huge investment at $75 a night. My two-night stay turned into a six-night stay, which turned into a decision to live at Pendle Hill for a ten-week term as a student. I am head-over-heels in love with this place. You might not have the time or the inclination to spend ten weeks there, but below is a list of reasons why you should come check it out for a day or two. (They also have all sorts of cool weekend workshops on topics related to mindfulness, social justice, racism, peace, etc., which would be an ideal way to become acquainted with Pendle Hill.) -The food. Maybe I shouldn't start with that, but this is Yelp, after all. And it's SO GOOD. There's an organic garden and a whole bunch of chickens on the grounds, and everything is as fresh as can be. They even make the bread from scratch. I was asked when I made my initial reservation whether I had any dietary restrictions, and when I arrived at dinner the chef introduced himself and showed me which items were dairy-, egg-, fish-, and wheat-free. -The people. The people and the food are linked closely in my mind, because mealtimes are a warm, communal affair. You serve yourself and then sit with others at one of a few little tables. Everyone there is incredibly nice to newcomers. I walked in to dinner with that anxious new-kid-in-the-school-cafeteria feeling, and walked out having made four or five cool new friends (ranging in age between about 25 and 75) who made me feel right at home. (I need a lot of human interaction to keep me happy, but it's just as easy to have a more solitary experience there if that's your thing.) -The art studio. It's so cool. It's open 24 hours a day, during some of which it is flooded with sunlight, and you can just go in and play! Or you can take one of their art classes. They've got all the tools and supplies you could imagine for drawing, painting, sketching, calligraphy, sewing, quilting, knitting, book-binding, pottery, and weaving, and I'm sure I've left out a bunch of things. There's also a wood shop that I hear is great, but my dust allergies kept me out of there. -The grounds. The campus is beautiful-- old stone buildings, a lovely path through the woods, the aforementioned organic garden, and all sorts of little quiet places to think-- wooden tucked away behind a stand of trees and the like. -The library and the bookstore (see my review of the latter). Tons of books, on Quakerism of course, but also on Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and other religions; nature and ecology; social justice and activism; history; psychology; and on and on but this review is already way too long. The library is a beautiful place to sit and read or write. -The values. I'm almost hesitant sometimes to use the word "values" because it has been so coopted by the religious right, but I won't cede it to them. Quakers believe in simplicity, peace, and tolerance, among other things. You will find Jews, Catholics, Muslims, and Buddhists there; people of all sexual orientations; people who speak all different languages. Writers, readers, artists, musicians, social workers, activists, students, and people trying to figure out who and what they are, rake leaves and scrub pots together to keep the community running. Upon rereading this, I realize I might have made it-- and me-- sound rather cultish. It's not, and I'm not; I'm just still really excited. Come visit for a weekend to write or read or think or walk or be, and see for yourself.