The Chaplain's Blog
Lawrence Basham
A Lakeland Vicar
Rev Lawrence Basham serves as Chaplain at Rydal Hall, offering spiritual guidance, pastoral care, and a welcoming presence to all who visit.
Before joining Rydal Hall, Lawrence served as a parish priest in Keswick (curacy) and later in the South Lakes, following earlier ministry as a youth minister in Yorkshire. Deeply rooted in his love for the outdoors, he finds spiritual renewal in the mountains and is an enthusiastic fell runner, often encountering God’s presence in the beauty and challenge of the fells.
Lawrence leads regular worship, reflection, and conversation, supporting individuals and groups in their spiritual journeys amidst the peace and wonder of the Lake District.
Sacred Ground: A Meditation on God and the Land
Take a peaceful moment to reconnect with God’s presence in this guided meditation.
The Good News of Being With – A Christmas Reflection
As the days shorten here at Rydal, and the fells draw a little closer in the early winter light, I’ve been thinking again about a truth that sits right at the heart of Christmas—and at the heart of the gospel: the simple, profound gift of being with. Not fixing, not rushing, not having all the answers. Just being present.
Prayer and the Art of Running Downhill
There are mornings here at Rydal when the mist hangs low over Nab Scar, and the air carries that quiet expectancy before the sun has quite found its courage. I lace my shoes and set out toward the fells — not to conquer them, but to be with them. To move among them as one might move through a psalm: with reverence, with listening, with breath.
Remembering: The Soil of Grace
To remember is to return — to walk again over ground already trodden, but this time with eyes open. Wendell Berry reminds us that “the past is our definition,” not to trap us, but to root us. In remembering, we find ourselves not as scattered moments but as part of a living landscape — one shaped by love, labour, and grace.
Rydal Hall Welcomes First Intern as Part of New Christian Leadership Programme
Rydal Hall, the retreat and conference centre for the Diocese of Carlisle, has launched a new internship programme designed to nurture future Christian leaders.
