St Cassian's Centre
St Cassian's Centre (often known simply as 'Kintbury' after the civil parish in which it is situated or more commonly known as 'The Kintbury Experience' by young people who visit) is a Catholic Youth Retreat Centre near the village of Kintbury in the English county of Berkshire. It is owned and operated by the United Kingdom province of the De La Salle brothers.
The centre was set up by Damian Lundy in 1975 and is housed in a small manor house known as Wallingtons at Inglewood in western Kintbury. It is set in picturesque grounds with landscaped gardens. This country setting offers a quiet atmosphere for those who attend retreat weekends.
Contents
Wallingtons
The manor of Wallingtons in Kintbury dates from the early 13th century. Robert de Wallington purchased the place in 1231 and it became named after his family. In the late 15th century, it was purchased by William Waynflete, the Bishop of Winchester. He gave it to his foundation at Magdalen College, Oxford. They remained in possession until 1859, but rented it out to tenants. The present manor house was built in the late 16th century. It was remodelled after a fire in 1784 and, again, in 1891 by Temple Moore when William Hew Dunn moved there from nearby Inglewood House.
Rooms
The Quiet Room
This is a room where people can go to be quiet. Situated in part of the attic space of the original house, it has space for all those in attendance at the centre. This space allows it to be used for daily reflections, most regularly in the morning after breakfast and in the evening after dinner.
The walls are lined with cushions for seating and the centrepiece of the room is a sprawling candle holder with many candles. These candles are lit whenever the room is used for reflections.
The Cedar Room
The Cedar Room is located on the ground floor and is used for gatherings during the retreat weekends. The floor is covered with beanbags for seating which can be rearranged depending on what the room is being used for.
The room is so called because its windows face a large cedar tree (commonly known as Cedric) in the middle of the lawns at the side of the house (see below). Despite this, it is almost universally known as the 'Bean Bag Room'.
The De La Salle Room
Mainly known as a common room, this room is used by the retreatants to relax and socialize during their 'free time' on retreat. This room is located on the first floor of the house.
The Damian Lundy Room
Named after the founder of the centre, this room is the biggest in the house. It is mainly used for functions, retreatants and masses.
Trees - Cedric and Marge
There are two prominent trees in the grounds of the centre. These are a large cedar tree known affectionately as Cedric. The team encourage all to give Cedric "hugs" due to him being over 200 years old. A coniferous tree named Marge stands just behind Cedric it is named Marge after its resemblance to Marge Simpson's hair-do.
The Lasallian Young Team
The Lasallian Young Team are a group of volunteers who work at the centre for a year. They start September and finish the following August.
