DonateSt Augustine's Abbey, ChilworthA living Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery near Guildford, United Kingdom
Sunday Mass 10amMonday–Saturday Mass 9am
Sunday 27 September 2026 only: Pontifical Mass begins at 11am, not 10am.
Come to the Abbey Church and pray with the monks. Members of the public are warmly welcome at Holy Mass and the Divine Office every day.
The Abbey Church is open to everyone
You do not need to be staying in the guesthouse, attending an event or considering a monastic vocation. You are welcome simply to come quietly and join the monks for Mass or any service of the Divine Office.
A welcome from Fr Abbot
“You are warmly welcome to join us in prayer, visit the Abbey or stay with us for a short retreat.”
Rt Rev Dom Paulinus Greenwood OSB
Abbot of St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth
Our Christian faith and identity
St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery.
Roman Catholics are Christians who believe in Jesus Christ, follow the Bible and the teaching of the Church, receive the Sacraments and are united with Catholics throughout the world under the spiritual leadership of the Pope. Holy Mass, prayer and seeking to live according to the example and teaching of Jesus Christ are at the heart of Catholic life.
The monks live together under the Rule of Saint Benedict, with daily Holy Mass and the Divine Office forming the rhythm of each day.
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through Him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
He came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
He suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and His kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Your first visit
You do not need to be Catholic, know Latin or understand monastic worship before you visit.
Plan your visit“Come and see.”
John 1:46
No booking is normally required to attend public Holy Mass or the Divine Office. Guesthouse stays and public talks must be arranged in advance. If you would like your Confession heard by a priest, please arrange this in advance via our website contact form.
Enter quietly, choose a place in the Abbey Church and follow the service as much or as little as you wish. Service books may be available.
Ordinary modest clothing is entirely suitable. Please silence mobile telephones and help preserve the prayerful atmosphere.
Everyone may attend Mass. Holy Communion is ordinarily received by Catholics properly prepared to receive it. Others are welcome to remain in their place and pray. Non Catholics are also welcome to come forward for a blessing, indicating this by crossing their arms over their chest.
Coffee is available after the 10am Sunday Mass in the Assisi Room at the rear of the monastery. Members of the public are warmly welcome.
Check directions, parking and current visitor information before travelling. If you have an accessibility question, please contact the Abbey in advance.
Daily worship at Chilworth
Prayer is the heart of life at Chilworth. Holy Mass and the Divine Office shape every day, with parts of the Office often sung in Latin Gregorian Chant.
Full prayer times and changes →Listen to Chilworth
Listen to Chilworth's Abbey Church bell calling everyone to prayer.
Sunday Mass 10am · Monday–Saturday Mass 9amListen directly on YouTube ↗
Prayer times
The Abbey Church is open for private prayer from 5:30am to 8:50pm every day of the year. No booking is required.
9am Monday–Saturday
10am Sunday
Sunday 27 September 2026 onlyPontifical Mass begins at 11am, not 10am.
Coffee after Sunday MassEveryone is welcome in the Assisi Room at the rear of the monastery.
Often sung in Latin Gregorian Chant
Eucharistic Adoration: Fridays 8–8:45pm and Sundays 4–5pm.
Members of the public are warmly welcome to join the monks for Compline at 8:30pm, except Saturdays.
Ancient Latin prayer · sung at Chilworth today
Prayer carried by the human voice.
For centuries, Benedictine monks have sung the psalms, hymns and responses of the Church in Gregorian Chant. At Chilworth this ancient Latin music is not a performance. It is living prayer: unhurried, communal and directed towards God.
Members of the public are welcome to come into the Abbey Church, listen and pray with the monks.
Discover Gregorian Chant at ChilworthFr Abbot and Fr John · Feast of the Assumption
Sung by Fr Abbot at Holy Mass
The solemn tone on the Feast of the Assumption
A sacred language of chant and contemplation
Latin has a living place in the prayer of St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth. The Rule of Saint Benedict was written in Latin, and the language still connects the monks with the worship of the Roman Catholic Church across centuries and cultures.
English is used extensively at Chilworth. Holy Mass is celebrated principally in English in the Ordinary Form, and much of the Divine Office is also prayed in English, making worship readily accessible to members of the public.
Alongside English, Latin can be heard in Gregorian Chant during the Divine Office, in chants at Holy Mass and in the traditional prayers said before and after monastic meals.
Ut in omnibus
glorificetur Deus.That in all things God may be glorified.
Every Wednesday · 7:30–8:15pm
Ecumenical meditation group
Led by lay people, the group brings together members of the public of all faiths and none for a weekly time of silence, Christian meditation and shared prayer.
Held in the Assisi Room
at the rear of the monastery.
After the meeting, you are welcome to join the monks for the Divine Office of Compline, 8:30–8:50pm, in the Abbey Church, sung in ancient Latin Gregorian Chant with a Holy Water blessing.
Meditation group detailsLatest from the Abbey
Discover the latest news, activities and comment from the monks and the wider Abbey community.
See all the latest news
Help young men from poorer parts of South America explore a Benedictine vocation through accompaniment, travel and pastoral care.
Read about the appeal →
More than 300 people completed the free, private 15-question quiz in its first month—an encouraging sign of continuing curiosity about Benedictine monastic life and vocation.
Read the story →
Thanks to remarkable generosity and hard work, the monastery garden is growing beautifully—with more still planned.
Read the story →
See the programme played by Abbey Organist Dr Julie Ainscough. On Sunday 27 September, the Pontifical Mass begins at 11am rather than the normal 10am.
See the programme →
UK orders only. Buy two skin creams or lip balms and receive another of the same product free, plus postage and packing, while stocks last.
Read the offer →
Answer 15 self scoring questions to find out more.
Read more →More stories from Chilworth
Short reads from the Abbey archive: vocations, creativity, service and the wider reach of Benedictine life.
Browse seven feature stories ↓Discover how prayer, Compline and the Surrey Hills at Chilworth helped shape essays in Shemaiah Gonzalez's Undaunted Joy.
Read the story →31 May 2026 · Monastic lifeA novice's love of creationA novice's prayerful work in the monastery garden prompted an unusual appeal for Mediterranean and drought-tolerant plants.
Read the story →19 April 2026 · VocationsAnother new novice monkBr Ambrose's reception into the noviciate marked a quiet and significant step in his Benedictine vocation.
Read the story →20 February 2026 · Abbey lifeFifteen years at ChilworthThe community reflects on prayer, hospitality and its living Benedictine legacy since moving from Ramsgate in 2011.
Read the story →3 February 2026 · InternationalFrom Chilworth to AustraliaA 3D scan of Chilworth's statue helped a Catholic school in New South Wales restore its damaged Our Lady and Child.
Read the story →16 November 2021 · In the pressOh, brother!Surrey Life looked at the monks' handmade skincare and their distinctive alternative to the big beauty brands.
Read the story →28 June 2024 · BooksDom Basil Watkins OSB and The Book of SaintsDiscover the Chilworth monk behind a comprehensive biographical dictionary containing 10,000 saints, including all modern saints.
Read the story →Public talks and events
Book ahead for talks in the Assisi Room at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth. Listed in chronological order.
September session: Responding to God. Join Fr John Seddon OSB in the Assisi Room. Advance booking is essential.
September talk details and booking →Quick book here →
For Sunday 27 September only. There will be no Sunday Mass at the usual 10am time.
Read the official notice →
A nine-day pilgrimage led by Fr John Seddon OSB, visiting sacred and cultural sites in Mexico City and Puebla.
Pilgrimage details and booking →
Explore the remarkable story of the pioneering inventor whose work helped illuminate the early cinema.
Details and booking →Quick book here →
October session: Preparing for Sacrifice. Join Fr John Seddon OSB in the Assisi Room. Advance booking is essential.
October talk details and booking →Quick book here →Prayer and Mass requests
Share your prayer intention or ask for a Mass to be offered through the main Chilworth website.
Send a prayer request“Never despair of God's mercy.”
Rule of Saint Benedict · Chapter 4
Self guided monastic retreats
St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth offers simple accommodation for adults seeking a quiet, self guided retreat in a living Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery near Guildford in the Surrey Hills.
There is no organised retreat programme or personal retreat leader. Guests shape their own time around silence, reflection, reading, countryside walks and the opportunity to join the monks for Holy Mass and the Divine Office.
Discover the prayerful stillness of St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth and opportunities to join the monks in silence and prayer.
Read the full article →Open to men and women aged 18 or over, of all faiths and none. Four basic rooms with shared facilities. A minimum stay of three nights and at least one month's advance notice normally apply.
Stays are by donation according to your means. £60 per person per night is the minimum normally donated.
Please see the main guesthouse page for current availability and complete arrangements.Male and female clergy from all Christian denominations are welcome to arrange a self guided stay for one or two weeks. Many clergy already come to Chilworth for quiet, prayer and renewal away from the demands of ministry. All stays are subject to availability and advance arrangement.
Clergy stays are by donation. £60 per person per night is the minimum normally donated.
What visitors experience at Chilworth
“An oasis of total serenity and deep goodness in an otherwise mad world.”Read visitor comments
Space to rest and reflect.
Warmly received.
Mass and Divine Office.
Worship that moves and restores.
The Benedictine source
For 1,500 years, the Rule of Saint Benedict has offered a practical rhythm of prayer, work, community, hospitality and silence. Visitors may not always call it “ancient wisdom”, but they repeatedly describe its fruits.
Public ratings checked August 2026 and may change.Plan your visit →Find your way to Chilworth
Step away from everyday noise. Stay, pray and experience the gentle pattern of monastic life. Stays are by donation according to your means.
“Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ.”
Rule of Saint Benedict · Chapter 53
Come to Holy Mass or the Divine Office. See the regular public timetable.
For men who feel specifically drawn to explore monastic life.
Travel to Chilworth by train
Chilworth railway station is approximately a ten minute walk from St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth. Use National Rail to check routes, times and ticket options before travelling.
National Rail is an external website. St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth is not responsible for external websites, journey information, ticket sales, delays, cancellations or train services. Please check current information before travelling. Other train booking and information websites are available.Prayer · work · study
At Chilworth, a growing community of monks lives the Rule of Saint Benedict through common prayer, work, study, hospitality and silence.
“Prefer nothing whatever to Christ.”Rule of Saint Benedict · Chapter 72Discover Benedictine life
An insight into the Rule of Saint Benedict
Prayer gives the day its shape, with time for work, study, rest and life together.
The opportunity to rest is built into every day. Each day has dedicated downtime and recreation; the monks also have one day off each month—a dies non—and 30 days' holiday each year.
Go around the monastery and you will find each monk working at his allotted duties or studying. This balance of prayer, work, reading and rest is part of the humane rhythm of Benedictine life.
Stay and pray with our Benedictine communityHorarium · St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth
This is the monks' daily horarium. Visitors should consult the public prayer-times guide before travelling.
View the daily itinerary ↓| Event | Monday–Friday | Saturday | Sundays & Solemnities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rising Bell | 5.30am | 6.30am | 6.30am |
| Office of Vigils | 5.50–6.30am | 8–8.45pm | Nil |
| Office of Lauds | 7–7.25am | 7–7.25am | 7–7.25am |
| Breakfast | 7.40am | 7.40am | 7.40am |
| Office of Terce | 8.40–8.50am | 8.40–8.50am | 8.30–8.50am |
| Holy Mass | 9am | 9am | 10am |
| Office of Sext | 12.30–12.45pm | 12.30–12.45pm | 12.45–1pm |
| Lunch | 12.45pm | 12.30pm | 1pm |
| Office of None | 1.25–1.35pm | 1.25–1.35pm | 1.25–1.35pm |
| Office of Vespers | 6–6.30pm | 5.30–6pm | 5.30–6pm |
| Supper | 7pm | 6.30pm | 6.30pm |
| Office of Compline | 8.30–8.50pm | Nil | 8.30–8.50pm |
Times may change on particular days. See the public Holy Mass and Divine Office times when planning a visit.
Adoration
Join us in the Abbey Church for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each Friday from 8pm to 8.45pm and Sunday from 4pm to 5pm.
During your stay
Other activities at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth include a weekly lay ecumenical meditation group, events and study days, which may also be of interest during your stay.
Beyond the Abbey
Stunning countryside lies on our doorstep and is ideal for walking. Chilworth and Blackheath villages are nearby, and Chilworth has a railway station and bus stop.
Explore more
Listen, read and discover how the Rule of Saint Benedict shapes prayer, work, community and welcome at Chilworth.
Before the Rule of Saint Benedict
“Listen with the ear of your heart.”
Rule of Saint Benedict · Prologue
Saint Benedict was born at Nursia, in present day Italy, around AD 480. As a young man he left Rome and withdrew to a cave near Subiaco, seeking God through silence, prayer and discipline. Others were drawn to his way of life and communities formed around him.
He later founded the monastery of Monte Cassino, where he wrote the Rule for Monasteries. Benedict died there around AD 547. His Rule, centred on prayer, work, humility, obedience, stability and life in community, became one of the foundations of Western monasticism. Saint Benedict is honoured as the Patron Saint of Europe.
Begin with the foundation
A practical spiritual guide, written in the sixth century and still shaping the monks' life at Chilworth today.
Prayer · hospitality · humility · mercy
Open the image at full size or read every quotation in accessible text below.
Open full size →The Rule of Saint Benedict in everyday life
Explore how the Rule of Saint Benedict speaks to modern life, shared values, meaningful work and the witness of a contemplative community.
Most read article
Why black? Why a hood? Discover how the Benedictine habit expresses simplicity, identity, service and belonging.
Read the article →Discover practical Benedictine wisdom for the difficulties and pressures shared by us all.
Read the article →02Reflect on the values that shape Benedictine life and what they could mean in your own.
Read the article →03See how the habit communicates simplicity, identity and the values of a monk.
Read the article →04Understand how prayer, hospitality and stability serve people far beyond the monastery.
Read the article →05Discover how the monks' work supports community life and puts Benedictine values into practice.
Read the article →
Benedictine wisdom for modern life
Artificial intelligence is changing the world. For 1,500 years, the Rule of Saint Benedict has offered balance, purpose and peace. Discover why Benedictine wisdom may be more relevant than ever.
Read the article →Watch the documentary series offering a unique insight into Benedictine life at Chilworth, Quarr Abbey and Kylemore Abbey.
Watch and read more →An introduction to the attentive listening, prayer and daily rhythm at the heart of Benedictine life.
Read the guide →Be mesmerised by this ancient and beautiful form of prayer, sung for centuries and still sung today.
Listen and discover →Discover the sacred stillness of the monastery and opportunities to join the monks in silence and prayer.
Read the article →Delve a little deeper into understanding monasticism.
Explore the forum →The habit as a powerful way of communicating the values of a monk.
Read more →Why the monks face East when celebrating Mass.
Read more →Explore your vocation, stay for a few days and experience monastic life at arm's length.
Explore a vocation →Discover who the monks are and what they do every day.
Read more →A question from the Abbey's online Monastic Forum.
Read the reflection →Read what visitors say about their experience of Chilworth.
Read their comments →Find out more about monastic prayer, Matins and Fr John's Matins' Musings.
Discover monastic prayer →A reflection written as the community celebrated ten years at Chilworth.
Read the reflection →How does falling in love with God happen?
Read the reflection →Why Benedictine life brings prayer, work and community together for the glory of God.
Learn about monastic life →Learn about the Roman Catholic Benedictine community at Chilworth.
Meet the community →Discover Chilworth's place within an international Benedictine congregation and its strong ties with brother and sister communities across the world.
Discover the congregation →A closer look at the monks' life of prayer at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth.
Read more →Discover the story of St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth and its community.
Explore our history →Across the United Kingdom
Discover Roman Catholic Benedictine monasteries and convents throughout England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with website links, visiting guidance and answers to common questions.
For those specifically considering a vocation
Quiz launched August 2026
Answer these 15 questions honestly and receive your result immediately. This is a private discernment aid relating specifically to monastic life at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth. No answers are sent or stored.
15 questions · Your result appears immediately
Lay Oblates
Lay Oblates are people who seek to follow the spirit of the Rule of Saint Benedict while continuing their ordinary lives at home, at work and in the wider community.
Discover how a lasting spiritual connection with the monastery can bring prayer, stability and Benedictine wisdom into daily life.
Discover the Lay OblatesOur monastery · past and present
Today's Benedictine community continues a remarkable story of religious life at Chilworth. The Grade II listed monastery was designed by Frederick Walters and originally built as a Franciscan friary and novitiate.
Artist's impression of Mary Anne Alliott.
The woman who made Chilworth possible
Mary Anne Alliott paid for the entire original friary and church at Chilworth. Her bequest of approximately £7,000 met the full cost of the buildings designed by Frederick Walters. That is equivalent to roughly £1.15 million in 2026 purchasing power; the monastery complex her gift created is likely to be worth a number of million pounds.
She was the aunt of Fr Arthur Wells, who is regarded as the founder of the friary. The foundation stone was laid in 1890 and the first Franciscan friars entered in 1892. Mary Anne died on 18 January that year, five months before the church and friary were dedicated.
“At her sole expense erected this friary to the glory of God and in honour of St Francis.”
More than 130 years later, her extraordinary act of faith and generosity still shelters a living community of prayer. The Benedictine monks remember her with gratitude and ask visitors to pray for the repose of her soul.
Read Mary Anne Alliott's storyThe Franciscan years
Chilworth was home to the Franciscan Friars for almost 120 years. Originally created as their British novitiate, it formed generations of new friars and later served the local Catholic community.
More than 80 Franciscans are buried at Chilworth. Their graves, marked by simple white crosses in the Franciscan tradition, are cared for by their Benedictine successors, who continue to pray for the repose of their souls. The cemetery is private.
After the Franciscans withdrew in 2010, the Benedictine monks who form the community of St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth moved from Ramsgate in 2011, continuing the monastery's daily life of prayer.
The architecture of Chilworth Abbey
The authoritative Pevsner Architectural Guide records the history, materials, craftsmanship and principal fittings of St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth.
The guide's full entry for St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth
“ST AUGUSTINE'S ABBEY, ¼ m. N. Benedictine since 2010, but originally for Franciscans (Greyfriars), shortly after the order re-established itself in England. The patron was Mary Anne Alliot, who paid for the entire building. Simple Late Gothic Revival, comprising church and cloister with dormitories over, of 1890–2, by F. A. Walters. Soberly and honestly detailed in the warm Ewhurst sandstone with flint chequerboard in the gables. Interior completed by 1911. Rich high altar and side altars.
STAINED GLASS. E window by Powells (Catholic Martyrs), 1938, and one (N chapel) by Lavers & Westlake.”
The Buildings of England: Surrey, Charles O'Brien, Ian Nairn and Bridget Cherry. Revised edition, Yale University Press, 2022. ISBN 978 0 300 23478 7.
A short history of Chilworth
Construction began for a Franciscan friary and novitiate, financed through the generosity of Mary Anne Alliott.
The new buildings were dedicated and consecrated by the Archbishop of Southwark on 18 June.
An organ built by Lewis & Co was installed. The monastery gardens also inspired Albert Ketèlbey's In a Monastery Garden.
After the Franciscans left, the Benedictine community now at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth moved from Ramsgate.
The monks continue the daily rhythm of prayer, work, study and hospitality under the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Abbey shop
OVER 70PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Explore skincare creams, balms and beeswax polish made by the monks, together with rosaries, crosses and gifts. Every purchase helps support the life and work of the monastery.
CURRENT SPECIAL OFFER · UK ORDERS ONLYBUY 2, GET 1 FREEBuy two of the same Sanctuary Products skin creams or lip balms and receive a third of the same product free. Postage and packing apply; while stocks last.View the full offer →
Sanctuary skin cream£7.5050ml monk-made moisturising cream with organic oils, beeswax, cocoa butter and aloe vera.
Sanctuary lip balm£3.9525ml monk-made beeswax balm in a choice of flavours, for dry or chapped lips.
Beeswax furniture polish£4.99100ml monk-made traditional polish to nourish and protect wood furniture and floors.
Chilworth corded rosary£4.99A durable five-decade rosary, handmade at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth.
Devotional scapulars£0.99Traditional Brown, Red and Green Scapulars, with further devotional gifts available.Prices checked 28 August 2026. Availability and postage may change.
Visit the Abbey shopHelp sustain the monastery
The monks depend upon the generosity of friends and visitors. Every gift helps maintain the Abbey, welcome guests and nurture new vocations.
Current appeals
Every donation helps St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth sustain its life of prayer, hospitality and outreach.
Help the monks continue planting and developing the monastery garden as a place of beauty, prayer and welcome.
Support the garden →Help us acquire the equipment needed to share selected worship and events with people who cannot come in person.
Support live streaming →Support opportunities for people of limited means from Latin America to experience Benedictine prayer and monastic life at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth.
Support HOLA →Mark Abbot Paulinus' Silver Jubilee by helping to sustain monastic vocations and the future of Benedictine life at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth.
Support the Jubilee Appeal →UK taxpayer? If you are eligible, Gift Aid can add 25% to your donation at no extra cost. Please select Gift Aid if that option is offered on the donation page.
Make a general donation
Abbot Paulinus' chosen charity 2026
Marking Abbot Paulinus' Silver Jubilee, this special thanksgiving appeal will help sustain monastic vocations at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth.
12.6% of the target raised
Tell us how we are doing
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Our commitment
The safeguarding of children, young people and adults at risk is of vital importance to us.
Fr Dunstan Keauffling OSB is the Abbey's Safeguarding Representative and may be contacted through the Abbey on 01483 899360.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. Otherwise contact the Police on 101 and the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton Safeguarding Office. You may also contact the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency.
Safeguarding information and contactsSite map
Open the complete site map to move directly to any section.
Open site map ↓Explore by subject
Short guides to visiting, prayer, retreats, Benedictine life and the history of St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth.
A prayer attributed to Saint Benedict
O gracious and holy Father,
Amen.
give us wisdom to perceive You,
intelligence to understand You,
diligence to seek You,
patience to wait for You,
eyes to behold You,
a heart to meditate upon You,
and a life to proclaim You,
through the power of the Spirit
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
God give you peace.