Establishing the first Christian Community
In 1959 a group of Anglicans from Manchester (led by Revd H Frankham and the Right Rev Donald Coggan, Bishop of Bradford), inspired by Lee Abbey in Devon, set out to find a suitable property to base a similar community in the North. Scargill Estate was bought with money from thousands of donors across the country.
A christian community was established with the aim of renewing the church through the offering of hospitality, teaching and recreation. Work soon began on a new chapel, designed by George Pace of York, which opened in 1961. Dormitory blocks and lounges were quickly added and for almost 50 years, Scargill House was a popular draw for christians across Britain, welcoming up to 100,000 people.
Closure and an appeal
In July 2008, after running for some time at a deficit, Scargill House closed and the community disbanded. In response to the news, there were over 200 comments on a Church Times blog post, and ‘save Scargill’ pages appeared on Facebook. The Save Scargill Action Group was set up with the hope of finding an alternative to the sale, or raising money to buy the house.
The first supporters’ meeting in Skipton was told that £85,000 had already been pledged, but despite their efforts Scargill House was put on the market for £2.5 million amid fears it could fall into the hands of commercial developers.
The action group joined forces with representatives of Lee Abbey and Bradford Diocese to form a steering group chaired by Bishop John Finney, which negotiated the purchase of the house and later handed over to the newly formed Scargill Movement Trust, chaired by the Bishop of Bolton, the Rt Revd Chris Edmondson, a former warden of Lee Abbey and a Scargill partner for more than 25 years.
Resurrection
After the ‘old’ Scargill House closed in 2008, a new Scargill Movement, with new trustees, was registered as a charity in February 2009. In March, they purchased the house and estate in order to continue to operate a christian retreat and conference centre. Donations from supporters, plus a loan from the Lee Abbey Movement, enabled the purchase.
In the summer of 2009 new life began to bloom at Scargill as Phil Stone was appointed as the first Director, with Phil and Diane moving to Scargill to look after the new Scargill Movement’s physical and spiritual development, and begin to establish a new residential community. Scargill Council grew, patrons were appointed, and the Archbishop of York became our president. Then in 2010 the doors were reopened for guests and our programme of events started.