RURAL RETREAT

In the heart of the Northumberland countryside, a small community of Baha'is and Buddhists have built a unique retreat called Burnlaw.

Burnlaw was established 20 years ago by two Baha'is - John Jameson and Gary Villiers-Stuart, who bought an old farmhouse and its surrounding barns.

Each of the barns is now a warm, cosy home for four Baha'i families and a Buddhist couple, and the farmhouse has become a bustling retreat centre.

"We're blessed by one of the most beautiful landscapes in Britain, in one of the sandstone valleys off the River Tyne," Gary says. "Our idea was to set up a place where people could explore their spirituality rather than just talking about it, and we've been doing it now for two decades."

The farmhouse is let privately during the cold winter months, but every summer it hosts a huge range of activities, from ceilidhs and dance workshops to art classes for children and "time-out" weekends away for single mothers.

"For the past five years, especially since our children are old enough to look after themselves, we've also run regular courses throughout the summer on arts, skillsharing, meditation and dance. We also hold Buddhist retreats, and space for outdoor theatre groups, and there's even a weekly philosophy class for local children," Gary says.

"It's a bit like a small village, and there's never a dull moment. This week I'm busy putting up scaffolding to prepare for a weekend of meditation followed by an Irish Ceilidh."

The five households meet once a month to consult about ongoing projects, and about managing the farm's 40-acre organic cattle holding. Gary says the Baha'i concept of consultation has helped iron out the problems which can arise in a shared venture.

"All communities have conflicts - it's a characteristic of being human - and we're no different," he says, laughing.

"But we try to work through any issues together, with a lot of prayer - and a lot of grace! And that makes it possible to find solutions that work for everyone. The other thing that keeps us united, I think, is the magic you feel when a project goes well, whether it's to do with music, or a retreat, or the weekends we run for inner-city kids from Newcastle.

"Whatever the project, when it works well you really get a vision of what a healthy, functioning community can be like, albeit on a small scale - and we hope we'll have the energy to run Burnlaw for a long time to come."