The Claretian Missionaries
The Claretian Missionaries are an international community founded in 1849, known for their commitment to service, education, and working alongside local communities. Present in many countries around the world, their mission has consistently combined practical care for people and places with a long-term vision for the future.
Since coming to Buckden Towers in the mid-20th century, the Claretians have taken on the role of dedicated custodians of this historic site. When they first arrived, significant parts of the buildings and grounds required careful attention. Over the decades, they have carried out extensive restoration and maintenance, stabilising historic structures, repairing and preserving architectural features, and ensuring that the Towers remain both safe and true to their character.
Their work has also shaped how the site is experienced today. Through thoughtful adaptation, Buckden Towers has been developed into a welcoming space for visitors, retreats, and gatherings, while retaining its historic atmosphere. The surrounding grounds have likewise been carefully tended and enhanced, creating an environment that reflects both the heritage of the site and its continued use.
This sustained effort reflects the Claretians’ wider approach: to receive a place of significance, care for it with respect, and ensure that it remains alive and accessible for future generations. At Buckden Towers, their ongoing stewardship has preserved not only the fabric of the buildings, but also the sense of continuity and purpose that defines the site today.
1956 – 2026
70 years of the Claretians at Buckden Towers
Buckden Towers in 1956 when the Claretian Missionaries received it.
Buckden Towers, once the medieval palace of the Bishops of Lincoln, passed to the Claretian Missionaries in 1956. The historic site—by then partly dilapidated—was adapted by the Claretians for religious and pastoral work. Restoration began soon after they took possession, including repairs to the Great Tower and other medieval structures. The Claretians transformed the estate into a place for formation, prayer, and hospitality, giving new life to a property whose history stretches back to the twelfth century.
(1957–1965) The seminary years
The first Claretian use of Buckden Towers was as a junior seminary for boys aged roughly 11–18 who were considering a vocation as Claretian priests or brothers. In September 1957 after the priests and brothers themselves renovated the towers putting on a roof and replacing the floors the first group of students were welcomed. Students received a general education alongside spiritual and vocational formation. The seminary became a lively centre of community life, bringing young people from different places to live, study, pray, and grow together.
Although the seminary closed in 1965, it marked an important formative chapter in the Claretians’ presence at Buckden. Many who passed through the seminary recall the Towers as a place where faith, discipline, and friendship shaped their early years.
The Parish of St Hugh:
Alongside formation work, the Claretians began pastoral ministry in the surrounding area. In 1958–59 a new church dedicated to St Hugh of Lincoln was built on the site as the chapel for the seminary. Soon afterward it developed into the Catholic parish church for Buckden and the surrounding district.
The parish became a focal point for Catholic life in the region, with the Claretians serving local families, nearby villages, and communities connected to nearby military bases. Parish activities, liturgy, youth gatherings, and community celebrations helped create a warm and active parish culture remembered fondly by many who grew up in it.
The Claret Centre: A spiritual home for different generations.
After the seminary closed, the Claretians gradually reshaped Buckden Towers into a centre for retreats, meetings, and spiritual formation. By 1969 the Towers had become a hub of Claretian pastoral work in Britain, and in 1974 the St Claret Centre was formally opened.
The Centre welcomed a wide variety of groups—parish communities, youth movements, religious congregations, and individuals seeking time for prayer or reflection. The historic buildings were restored and adapted to provide accommodation, meeting spaces, and chapels. Over the decades the Claret Centre became a spiritual home for many generations, offering a peaceful environment for reflection within a place rich in history.
Buckden Towers today
Today Buckden Towers continues as a home to a Christian retreat and conference centre and the Parish of St Hugh of Lincoln run by the Claretian Missionaries. The complex includes the medieval Great Tower, Victorian house, chapels, and meeting facilities, all set within historic grounds. The site balances hosting retreats, conferences, spiritual programmes, and private visitors seeking quiet and reflection with social events and activities for the wider community.
The Claretians’ presence has preserved the heritage of the Towers while ensuring that it remains a living place of prayer, hospitality, and community—linking its long ecclesiastical history with the spiritual needs of the present day.
