New beginnings as All Hallows House re-opens for guests

ALL HALLOWS HOUSE on Rouen Road in Norwich will re-open for guests this August following a major refurbishment to create a modernised, attractive place of Christian hospitality beside the internationally renowned St Julian’s Church where Julian of Norwich once lived, prayed, and wrote.

Located in the heart of the city, just five minutes’ walk from the railway station, and under the care of Resident Steward Josiah English, All Hallows House will offer simple but comfortable accommodation in a contemplative style.
The eight bedrooms, each with free WiFi, private basin and easy access to shared facilities, are available for booking from Monday 1 August. With a variety of double, twin and single rooms, accommodation rates begin at £35 a night, including continental breakfast provided each morning and self-catering for lunch and dinner. Booking can be made through the new website: www.allhallowsnorwich.co.uk. The House can also be contacted on 01603 660451.

A pattern of public prayer on site, including the regular celebration of the Eucharist, Morning and Evening Prayer each day in St Julian’s Church, and weekly Compline in the House chapel, will provide a rhythm of daily life grounded in the traditions of devotion with which Julian herself would have been familiar. The House chapel will be available to resident guests throughout the day and night as a place of meditation and quiet, and a private garden also provides space for peace and thought.

Later this year, the large Julian of Norwich reference library will also be available in All Hallows House, in new purpose-built storage, for guests, scholars and researchers to consult. Dedicated study space will enhance the experience of visitors who come to stay in order to write or research.

Describing All Hallows as ‘a green oasis hidden in the centre of our historic city’, Josiah English, the Resident Steward, said: ‘Our focus is on community and tranquillity, shaped around a pattern of prayer. You will find no TVs at All Hallows: we instead encourage guests to use our common areas to get to know one another or enjoy private reflection undisturbed by the constant motion of modern life. Whether you are looking for a quiet escape, reflective retreat, or pilgrim’s rest, All Hallows is the perfect place to start.’

The rejuvenation of All Hallows House has been made possible by the generosity and vision of the Community of All Hallows, an Anglican religious order who built the house after the Second World War and whose Sisters oversaw its life and work until 2018. This is the first project delivered by The Julian of Norwich Partnership, a newly created charity which brings together the Diocese of Norwich, Norwich Cathedral, the Parish of Timberhill, the Friends of Julian of Norwich and the Community of All Hallows to advance knowledge and understanding of Julian of Norwich and to care for the site hallowed by her memory.

Generous grant funding from the Community of All Hallows (CAH) and the Friends of Julian of Norwich and the provision of professional services by the Diocese of Norwich have ensured the delivery of the project despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and have given a new lease of life to a place dear to a great many visitors from around the world who treasured the hospitality and care of the CAH Sisters during their ministry at the Julian Shrine.

Fr Richard Stanton, Priest Director of the Partnership, said: ‘I am delighted that thanks to the hard work of many colleagues and volunteers we are now able to accept bookings for All Hallows House, and I hope that as we prepare for the 650th anniversary of Julian’s Shewings in May 2023 we are able to welcome many people from all walks of life to enjoy peace, refreshment and renewal in this place where Julian discerned that “love was our Lord’s meaning.” We want to offer All Hallows House as a resource for the Diocese, the city, the Christian community at home and overseas and people of goodwill everywhere, and in so doing to continue the good work of those into whose labours we have entered.’

The adjacent Julian Centre is currently undergoing its own interior refurbishment, funded by a grant from the Friends of Julian of Norwich, and will re-open this autumn with a shop selling books and cards, information for pilgrims and visitors about Julian and her writings, and a flexible space for community activities and outreach. Volunteering opportunities to welcome visitors and serve their needs will be available throughout the week. If you could give some time on a regular basis and are willing to be contacted when the volunteer recruitment information is available, please get in touch with the Resident Steward to express your interest: josiah.english@julianofnorwich.org