A directory of belonging
Places where community is built into where you live — not another club to visit, but somewhere the people around you are part of daily life. Monasteries that welcome guests, cohousing, co-ops, ecovillages, seniors villages, and neighbourhoods that actually function. Start where you are.
Compiled with AI, checked by nobody yet. These are starting points, gathered for England — real places as far as we know, but details change. Verify with a phone call before you set your heart or drive across the state.
One of England's best-known Camphill communities, set in a moorland valley with farms, craft workshops and shared houses. Adults with learning disabilities live and work alongside co-workers and support staff in a life of shared purpose.
Visit website →Part of the international L'Arche federation, this community brings together adults with and without learning disabilities in shared houses and day activities. It welcomes assistants from around the world who come to live and grow alongside its members.
Visit website →Emmaus provides a home and meaningful work for people who have experienced homelessness, fostering a strong sense of community among residents. Companions live and work together, supporting each other towards independence.
Visit website →A purpose-built cohousing community for people over 55, designed for active independent living with shared facilities. Residents enjoy private homes alongside extensive common spaces and a strong sense of mutual support.
Visit website →Forgebank is an award-winning cohousing community built to high environmental standards, fostering a strong sense of neighbourliness and shared responsibility. Residents actively participate in the management and social life of the community.
Visit website →An eco cohousing community of Passivhaus homes beside the River Lune, with a common house, shared meals and car-free lanes. Residents of all ages share a commitment to sustainable living and neighbourly cooperation.
Visit website →An award-winning cohousing neighbourhood of twenty straw-bale and timber homes built around a common house and shared gardens. Its mutual home ownership model keeps homes affordable for a mix of families, couples and single people committed to low-impact living.
Visit website →Cambridge's first cohousing community, with 42 modern homes arranged around a car-free lane, shared garden and common house. Families, professionals and retirees live side by side, sharing meals, tools and childcare in a sociable, sustainable neighbourhood.
Visit website →One of the UK's first new-build cohousing schemes, completed in 2003 on a hillside near Stroud town centre. Its 34 households of all ages and stages share a common house, regular communal meals and a strong culture of participation.
Visit website →A purpose-built cohousing community designed for intergenerational living, fostering mutual support and shared activities. Residents actively participate in the management and social life of the community.
Visit website →A large, established housing co-operative providing affordable accommodation and fostering a strong sense of community among its residents. Members actively participate in the management and maintenance of their homes.
A long-standing member of the Radical Routes network, housing members in shared houses in Chapeltown since 1993. It welcomes people committed to co-operative living and social change, and its buildings also host activist and community groups.
Opened in 1974 as the UK's first purpose-built housing co-operative, with fourteen shared houses and a strong eco-refurbishment record. It is run entirely by its tenant members and welcomes single adults looking for affordable co-operative living in south-east London.
A long-established housing co-operative providing affordable homes and a strong sense of community for its members. Residents collectively manage their properties and shared spaces.
An established ecovillage focused on sustainable living, permaculture, and community decision-making. Residents share resources and work together to minimize their environmental impact.
Visit website →A residential community founded in 1950 in a Grade II* listed house, run as a school of integrative social research. Members live and work together on the estate and welcome guests, volunteers and course participants throughout the year.
Visit website →A Christian intentional community where several hundred members share all possessions, meals and work in the tradition of the early church. Families and single people live and work together, and visitors are warmly received for stays arranged in advance.
Visit website →A large intentional community founded in 1974 in a former friary, farming some seventy acres of Suffolk countryside together. Around fifty adults and children share meals, land work and decision-making, welcoming prospective members and volunteer visitors.
This centre offers a residential community focused on peacebuilding and reconciliation, providing a unique urban living experience. Residents engage in shared meals, reflection, and contribute to the centre's mission.
Visit website →A historic medieval abbey now operating as a residential community and retreat centre, promoting peace, sustainability, and social justice. It offers a unique living environment with shared meals and a focus on communal values.
Visit website →This is a Christian intentional community focused on shared living, hospitality, and social justice within the city. Members commit to a common rhythm of life, including shared meals and prayer.
Visit website →Beech Grove is one of several Bruderhof communities in the UK, living a communal life based on early Christian principles. Members share all possessions and work together for the common good.
Visit website →This is a Christian intentional community where members share all possessions and live a life dedicated to faith and service. They operate various workshops and welcome visitors to experience their communal lifestyle.
Visit website →While the main ecovillage is in Scotland, the Findhorn Foundation also operates Cluny Hill in England as a centre for workshops and community living. It offers a space for personal and spiritual development within a conscious community setting.
Visit website →The Othona Community provides a residential experience centered on Christian values, welcoming people of all faiths and none. It offers a space for reflection, shared living, and engagement with nature by the sea.
Visit website →This Christian-based community welcomes people of all faiths and none to share in a simple, communal life by the sea. It offers a space for reflection, discussion, and practical work.
Visit website →An intentional community and farm focused on sustainable living, organic agriculture, and shared decision-making. Residents work together on the land and share meals, fostering a close-knit communal lifestyle.
Visit website →A Benedictine monastery in the North York Moors where monks have lived, worked and prayed for over two centuries. Guests of all faiths and none are welcomed for retreats, quiet days and stays in the abbey's accommodation.
Visit website →A working Benedictine abbey on the edge of Dartmoor, famously rebuilt by the monks themselves in the early twentieth century. Its guest accommodation and conference facilities welcome pilgrims, retreatants and visitors seeking rest and reflection.
Visit website →A Benedictine monastery of the Solesmes Congregation set among farmland and woods on the Isle of Wight. Men seeking a monastic retreat can stay in the guest house, while the tea shop, farm and grounds welcome all visitors.
Visit website →Home to Benedictine nuns, this priory offers a life of prayer, work, and hospitality within a historic setting. The community welcomes guests seeking retreat and spiritual reflection.
Visit website →A Franciscan friary in Durham, offering a spiritual home for friars and a welcoming space for visitors seeking peace and reflection. They are involved in local outreach and provide a place for prayer and community.
Visit website →A Benedictine monastery in Surrey, offering a life of prayer and work within a monastic community. Guests are welcome to join the monks for services and experience their peaceful way of life.
Visit website →This is the only Carthusian monastery in the United Kingdom, offering a life of solitude and prayer for monks. It is a place of profound spiritual dedication and communal living under strict monastic rules.
Home to the Community of St. John Baptist, this Anglican convent offers a structured life of prayer, worship, and service. They provide a quiet space for reflection and spiritual growth in the heart of London.
Visit website →While primarily a monastic community, The Abbey on Iona offers a residential experience for those seeking spiritual reflection and community living. It is a historic site with a strong emphasis on peace and social justice.
Visit website →Based at Lambeth Palace, this is an Anglican monastic-inspired community for young Christians from around the world. Members commit to a year of prayer, study, and service.
Visit website →An Anglican Benedictine community of women, committed to a life of prayer, work, and hospitality. They run a guesthouse and welcome those seeking spiritual refreshment.
Visit website →This is an Anglican order of nuns, founded in 1848, dedicated to prayer, worship, and service. They live a contemplative and active life, running a guesthouse and engaging in various ministries.
Visit website →An Anglican Benedictine community of men, living a life of prayer, work, and study. They offer hospitality and a peaceful environment for those seeking spiritual retreat.
Visit website →An Anglican monastic community of men, dedicated to prayer, study, and mission, living a common life in Yorkshire. They run a theological college and welcome visitors for retreats and worship.
Visit website →This Anglican monastic community offers a structured life of prayer, work, and fellowship for its resident brothers. Guests can also experience aspects of their communal life through retreats and stays.
Visit website →An Anglican monastic community for men, dedicated to prayer, worship, and service. They offer a guesthouse for retreats and welcome visitors to share in their life.
Visit website →This is an Anglican contemplative order of nuns, founded in 1906. They live a life of prayer, worship, and work within their monastery.
Visit website →This Anglican contemplative community of sisters has been based in Malvern since 1902, offering a life of prayer and hospitality. They welcome guests for retreats and quiet stays within their peaceful grounds.
Visit website →An Anglican Franciscan friary, this community lives a life of prayer, service, and simplicity. They welcome visitors to share in their daily rhythm and experience their communal way of life.
Visit website →A resident-led community land trust that rescued four Victorian streets from demolition, winning the Turner Prize with collaborators Assemble in 2015. It provides affordable homes and a monthly street market, welcoming neighbours who want to help the area keep thriving.
The UK's first senior cohousing community, created by and for women over fifty after nearly two decades of campaigning. Its 25 homes combine independent living with mutual support, shared spaces and an active social life.
Visit website →The other path
If your state's list is thin, that's not a dead end; it's the reason this project exists. Three friends on one street is already a community. The guide walks you through the whole path.
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