BESPOKE STAYS and INSPIRED DAYS
St Marks Stays is a group holiday accommodation and retreat venue located between Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales with dedicated yoga spaces, creative and wellbeing facilities.
RETREAT VENUE
GROUP HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION
This countryside holiday home has 8 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, sleeps up to 16 people, is self-catering, dog friendly and has garden views of the Howgills.
St Marks Stays is a renovated Victorian Vicarage with modern comforts and individually styled rooms of character. Sitting at the foot of the Howgill Fells, the house is held by the landscape and surrounded by nature, for the ultimate escape to peace. We welcome both group bookings, such as families and friends and also retreat organisers and their retreats.
The house is located within three miles of the book town of Sedbergh, has proximity to local walks, such as Cautley Spout waterfall and is near to rivers for wild swimming. St Marks Stays is not a hotel, but the owners, Damian and Joanne Withers, live on site in a self-contained apartment and are around to help plan and make your stay go smoothly. We can provide information on activities, outdoor adventures, local walks, chefs, caterers, mountain guides, yoga instructors, places to eat, beauty therapists and even which supermarkets deliver here. We have purposely left many of our personal possessions in the house make it more of a home from home feel for you, rather than a basic holiday let.
Located between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales and at the foot of the Howgill Fells for a perfect holiday, or retreat.
RETREAT VENUE
A spacious retreat venue with a dedicated studio space suitable for yoga, meditation and creative activities. The countryside location connects you to nature for outdoor wellbeing and there are walking routes from the doorstep and local rivers for wild swimming. The garden has a sauna, cold shower and ice bath for contrast therapy, along with decking for outdoor fitness. (You do need to book the sauna in advance of your stay please.)
There is a fully equipped kitchen for self catering and we can send you a list of local chefs and caterers.
Bedrooms can be a mix of twin, or double beds and most of them are ensuite.
We have list of local therapists, yoga instructors and mountain guides if you need some experts for your activities.
The dedicated studio space can be multi-purpose. We have tables and chairs for creative retreats and a full set of yoga equipment. As a yoga studio, it fits 9 – 13 yoga mats in, but we have enough yoga kit for 16, as you can squeeze 16 mats on the outdoor garden decking.
The yoga studio is available to use for yoga, or creative activities, but we kindly ask that it is not used as a playroom, bunkroom, or party room.
Read more and see mats laid out for an idea of space on our blog
How to plan the perfect retreat
GROUP HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION
St Marks Stays has been created as a home to be shared for everything from a casual holiday, to special get-togethers. It is about connection – to each other and the landscape.
We are dog friendly. The kitchen is fully equipped for self-catering for groups and has everything from a dish washer to a coffee machine. There are two lounges, dining room and downstairs toilet. There is a Smart TV, Netflix, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth speaker, dvds, cds, books and board games.
The barbeque in the garden is also a fire pit and the dark skies area is perfect for starry night S’mores. There is a cold plunge ice bath that is free to use and a wood fired sauna that is bookable for a fee in advance of your stay, so we can set that up for you.
There is parking and EV charging charged at current rates.
The yoga studio is available to use for yoga, or creative activities, but we kindly ask that it is not used as a playroom, bunkroom, or party room.
The number of guests, including any day visitors is 16 please and we do not host weddings unless your group number is 16 in total.
There is a two night minimum stay.
Please see our About Page FAQs for T&Cs for booking, payments, damages and cancellations
Testimonials for St MArks Stays
The location is fabulous, set against a backdrop of rolling hills – we never tire of the breathtaking views. As a retreat facilitator, coming to St Marks Stays is easy. Damian and Jo have thought of everything you could need to run a beautiful retreat. St Marks is forever evolving and it just gets better and better. When you walk in through the pink door you can feel the energy of the place, it literally embraces you in arms of love and care. You really do feel ‘at home.’ We always can’t wait to return and it’s a joy to run our retreats at St Marks Stays – we love it!’
I’ve been coming here literally my whole life. I came to it when it was a school holiday house, when it was a bed and breakfast, with my family as a luxury big gathering space and as a professional, hosting a singing weekend. It is incredibly grounding to be in such a well loved place surrounded by nature and it is nature at its biggest and brightest and most beautiful whatever time of year. The house has got more and more luxurious from squeaky bunkbeds to large kingsize ones, from shared bathrooms to ensuites and now even a sauna and cold tub! We look forward to reading books, playing games, eating together from the chippie, and walking up Cautley Spout waterfall, however soggy and sitting with a hot Vimto at the Temperance Inn. Everyone loves the huge hall for shouting up to gather the walking team, or everyone for food, to scrabbling around for boots and coats.
St Marks Stays
Directions to St Marks Stays
Postcode LA10 5LZ
Do not rely on SatNav alone as postcode covers a large area.
For full directions with photos including where to park DOWNLOAD HERE
What 3 Words: wobbles.earth.flame
We are 3 miles from Sedbergh and 11 miles from Kirkby Stephen on the A683. We are actually on the main road and diagonally opposite the church of St Mark’s. Do not turn up the farm track!
Please ensure everyone in your group has these directions to avoid SatNav misdirection.
There is parking and EV charging charged at current rates.
Public Transport
The nearest train stations are Oxenholme & Kirkby Stephen, which are a 20 minute drive away.
Download directions for a list of taxi companies. They are higher prices though as they can’t get return fares.
No buses stop near us.
We do have space for secure, indoor cycle storage.
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