Join Vivobarefoot’s Annual Pilgrimage Retreat At The Broughton Hall Sanctuary: A Soulful Experience You Cannot Miss
If you’re seeking a profound, nature-immersive experience rooted in history, well-being, and sustainability, mark your calendars for May 1–6, 2025. The iconic footwear brand Vivobarefoot teams up with the British Pilgrimage Trust to present their second Grounded Pilgrim Retreat at the Broughton Sanctuary in the Yorkshire Dales. Recognized by Nat Geo Traveller as one of the top 30 “cool” destinations for 2024, Broughton Sanctuary blends an ancient stately home with a cutting-edge biophilic wellness center and 3,000 acres of breathtaking cosmic nature.
A Pilgrimage for Body and Soul
Each day, guests embark on daily pilgrim routes through the energetic Yorkshire landscape, including Pendle Hill (the birthplace of Quakerism) and scenic waterfalls such as Malham Cove. The retreat schedule is an ode to holistic living, featuring:
- Morning Yoga & Woodland Dining
- Wild Saunas, Ice Baths & Star Navigations
- Talks & Songs from world-leading experts in grounding, fungi, and nature connection
Walking tours revive the body; pilgrimages nourish the soul. These are some of the most sacred lands in Britain, ideal for mindful travelers yearning for deep cultural and ecological engagement.
Retreat Schedule
After descending to the huge curving amphitheatre of rock below created by a glacial waterfall (painted by Turner), you progress to the quaint village of Malham and then through wild garlic filled fairy woods to the folklore-drenched waterfall of Janet’s Foss. Then in the adjacent gorge you encounter an elemental crashing waterfall in the dramatic Gordale Scar. From here you will visit Kirkby Malham, the Cathedral of the Dales on the way back to Broughton. Then dinner back at Utopia, Broughton Sanctuary’s walled garden bistro.
Saturday 3rd May – Pendle Hill, 5 miles.
After morning yoga and a delicious breakfast, you will transfer to Downham to ascend the summit at Pendle Hill, where George Fox had a vision that inspired the founding of the Quaker movement (a spiritual path of simplicity, frugality and adventure that in turn inspired the Clark family cobblers that led to Vivobarefoot). Drink here from the deliciously refreshing holy wellspring from which Fox drank. Walk across the long ridge of this majestic hill. Then descend the valley of Boar Clough, where silence reigns and the nature spirits are in full force. Pass through woodland and dale before ending at Newchurch-in-Pendle, with which the Pendle Witches were associated.
After getting back in early afternoon, you may opt for the ice bathing, woodland sauna and hot tub experience, or relax and unwind in Avalon pool suite, with its clear swimming pool, hydro-massage pool, organic shaped sauna and steam rooms or book a treatment or a massage.
Then a conversation with Jeff Krasno, dinner, a poetry and song moment in the Chapel, then chill time to be with new friends.
Jeff Krasno, the founder and CEO of a global wellness education platform Commune Media, is coming to the UK on tour for his latest book the Good Stress, covering Ten protocols to counteract the “chronic ease” that creates our modern epidemic of dis–ease, from a wellness industry leader who can prove they work —because he’s tested them on himself. In Good Stress—co-authored with his wife, Schuyler Grant, who shepherded him through 300-plus interviews with doctors and helped distill the results into actionable information—, Jeff shares what he’s learned and outlines a practical program for readers to reset their own health. Jeff explains that the comforts and conveniences of modern life in the developed world undermine our biology. Humans evolved with Paleolithic stressors and scarcity, which conferred health and resilience.
Sunday 4th May – River Wharfe 5 miles.
Starting with morning yoga, you then transfer to Grassington Market Square, and visit an old traditional cobblers shop, before approaching the majestic Linton Church of Archangel Michael and its waterfalls in the immaculate Wharfedale valley, cross a walkers’ suspension bridge and (optional) stepping stones, and tread the gentle Dales Way down the River Wharfe to the Saxon church of Burnsall. Then you will transfer to experience the sweetness of the inner space of medieval Bolton Abbey attached to majestic ruins, and will offer up in gratitude all that we have learnt.
At the end of all the walking, you will return to Avalon at Broughton and hear Rupert Sheldrake speak on morphic resonance before participating in a constellation with Jill Purce to help you ground yourself better. In the evening you will dine in the Cosmic Woodland at Broughton Sanctuary and then have a bit of a party.
Monday 5th May – Ancestor’s Pilgrimage, 2 miles.
This early morning half-day pilgrimage will weave all the elements together. From the Fire Temple, walk silently through the enchanted Cosmic Wood to the Ancestors’ portal with our burning torches. Ascend the Ancestors’ 33 Generations Hill, and walk the spiral of stones, each stone representing one of your ancestors to end at the fire in the centre. We then rest in the afternoon before our final night odyssey to hear the song of the Curlew.
Why it Matters?
Sustainable travel and mindful living go hand in hand. By pairing a centuries-old tradition of pilgrimage with cutting-edge footwear innovation, Vivobarefoot and the British Pilgrimage Trust bring forth a unique journey—literally and figuratively—for those who seek a deeper connection with the natural world.
Get ready to tread lightly on sacred ground while embracing sustainable, healthy footwear. After all, when we “walk closer to nature,” we learn not just about the earth beneath our feet, but about ourselves as stewards of a more harmonious future.
Each participant will receive a pair of VIVOS.
DISCOVER Vivobarefoot’s OUTDOOR RANGE
Alongside the retreat, Vivobarefoot proudly unveils their new Barefoot Winter Boot Range designed to help us “feel the ground, feel nature, feel connected.” From Tracker Leather to Tracker Textile and the versatile Tracker Moc, these lightweight yet robust boots let your feet move more naturally—no matter the terrain. Perfect for mountains, jungles, or your local woodland trail, the collection aims to shake off the “boot shackles” and reconnect wearers with the Earth.
+ All pictures:
© Courtesy by Vivobarefoot
