Pendle Hill

Fellowship at Pendle Hill

To promote fellowship among recipients of Roothbert scholarships, the Fund creates several opportunities each year for Fellows to meet with each other and members of the Board. Each year, Fellows are invited to a weekend meeting at Pendle Hill, a Quaker study center in a peaceful, wooded setting outside of Philadelphia. Such weekend retreats have been a tradition in the Fund since 1965, when Toni Roothbert invited Board members and Fellows to come together to meet one another. The Fund requires each Roothbert Fellow on grant to attend at least one Pendle Hill Retreat each year they are on grant. Weekend dates in June and September are announced each year.

The weekend is an informal retreat, beginning with dinner Friday evening and ending mid-day on Sunday. Typically a former grant recipient leads discussion on a theme that permits Fellows to explore and discuss an important issue while getting to know one another better.

Fellows are encouraged to attend Pendle Hill gatherings whenever possible, as well as informal get-togethers which are held occasionally in New York and other cities. There are a limited number of places for each Pendle Hill weekend. Priority is given to new Fellows and then to those who notify the Fellowship Committee of their interest in attending.

About Pendle Hill

Pendle Hill is a Quaker center for study and contemplation in Wallingford, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. It was founded in 1930 by the Religious Society of Friends and offers weekend conferences and retreats, five day courses and a resident study program consisting of three 10 week terms each year. Learn more about Pendle Hill at the Pendle Hill web site.

Travel Expenses to Pendle Hill

The Fund will reimburse certain travel costs incurred when an on-grant Fellow attends a Pendle Hill retreat. In order to foster the fellowship which is so essential to the Fund's mission, the Fund requires each Roothbert Fellow to attend at least one Pendle Hill retreat during each year he or she is on grant. The Fund will reimburse an on-grant Fellow's travel costs incurred each time he or she attends a Pendle Hill retreat. These expenses should not exceed $350. Be sure to ask for receipts, and note travel mileage if coming by car.

The Fund welcomes and encourages Fellows to attend subsequent Pendle Hill Retreats (assuming there is room), whether or not they are currently on grant, and will cover the costs of food and lodging at Pendle Hill. However, if Fellows wish to attend subsequent retreats, they are responsible for their own travel costs to and from Pendle Hill.

Any Roothbert Fellow on grant, and any Officer or Director of the Board of the Roothbert Fund, may request reimbursement for travel expenses (other than simple commuting costs) when:

such travel is required to carry out Fund responsibilities, and
takes place at the request or upon the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee of the Fund.

The Fund will reimburse Board members for the cost of travel to or from any meeting of the Board, or any committee meeting of the Board, on which that member may serve.

Travel Reimbursement Policy

Travel Reimbursement Form

Travel Instructions to Pendle Hill

Pendle Hill is located in suburban Philadelphia in the town of Wallingford, PA.

BY CAR: For those traveling from outside of Philadelphia, locate I-95 on a map and look for the point south of the city, near Philadelphia Airport, where I-95 connects to I-476 (the Blue Route). Take I-476 North to the Swarthmore/Media Exit #2. Go down the exit ramp to the traffic light. Turn left onto Baltimore Pike. Then, take the first left on to Turner Road. (The median strip ends just at the intersection with Turner Road. ) Once you are on Turner Road, take the second left onto Plush Mill Road. Look for a white sign for Pendle Hill up the road on the right about 200 yards. The Brinton House conference center is another 150 yards down on the left, down a long driveway. It is also marked by a white sign.

BY TRAIN from Outside Philadelphia: Travelers coming from New York, Washington, or western Pennsylvania may take Amtrak or SEPTA trains to Philadelphia's largest train terminal--30th Street Station. Travelers from New York or Washington may take a regular Amtrak train to Philadelphia. See the current Amtrak schedule and fare information. A less expensive option is also available from New York. Travelers may take the New Jersey Transit (NJT) local train from New York's Pennsylvania Station or points south to Trenton and then transfer to a local train to Philadelphia. Round trip fares are about $24. The traveler may purchase a ticket all the way to Philadelphia in NYC, or purchase the second portion in Trenton. Upon arriving in Trenton, the SEPTA R7 line or Trenton Local to Philadelphia is usually awaiting incoming passengers on the same platform as the arriving train from NYC. There is a 10-minute waiting time to board the next train. The entire ride takes about 2-1/2 to 3 hours each way, depending on the day of travel, and has less frequent departures on Sunday. See the Trenton R7 Local schedule information.

Local Train Instructions to Pendle Hill: In either case, passengers will get off at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia (NOT North Philadelphia Station!) and transfer to a train to Pendle Hill in Wallingford, PA. Upon arrival at 30th Street Station, travelers must purchase a SEPTA commuter rail ticket at the suburban train concourse (located up a ramp) at the station, for the R3 Media/Elwyn train line to Wallingford. The ride takes about 25 minutes. NOTE: Some R3 trains at evening rush hour are "express" trains that do not stop in Wallingford. Be sure to review schedules carefully to make sure you do not board an express train. See the current train schedule information.

Walking from the Wallingford Train Station to the Campus of Pendle Hill: When the train pulls away, cross the tracks to the side with the station house. (There is a pay phone there.) To walk to Pendle Hill, face the parking lot opposite the station house and turn left. The train tracks should be on your left side as you are walking. Walk up Possum Hollow Road, which parallels the railroad tracks to the cross street at the top of the hill: "Brookhaven."

Turn left, proceed across the tracks and continue straight. The road becomes Turner Road. You will walk the equivalent of 3 long blocks up a winding hill to Plush Mill Road. Turn right and walk along Plush Mill Road (carefully--there are no sidewalks) until you see a small white signpost for "Brinton House" on the left. Walk down the long driveway there and up to Brinton House. The Roothbert group will be gathered there. Because this road has no sidewalks and is dimly lit at night, we suggest you call to be picked up if you are arriving after dark.

Phone Information for Pendle Hill

For general information about Pendle Hill, you may call at (800) 697-9666. Participants in the Roothbert weekend usually gather for discussion at Brinton House. Friends or family may reach Fellows by dialing the pay phone in the entry of Brinton House at (610) 566-9902. In the event of an emergency, family may call Pendle Hill at (610) 613-7660.

Ground Transportation from Airport

The closest airport to Pendle Hill is the Philadelphia Airport. The Pendle Hill staff recommends the Paoli Airport Limousine from the Philadelphia Airport to Pendle Hill. The limo stops outside the baggage claim area, as do several other limos. The Paoli Limo is usually blue and has a "bubble sign" on top. (Paoli Limo does not have a desk in the airport but may be called at (610) 647-7333). The cost is about $17 plus tip, the trip takes 15 to 20 minutes and your destination is the Media Inn. The limo driver will have the dispatcher call Pendle Hill for you, and ask someone from the Roothbert group to come to pick you up. Taxis are also available at a cost of about $25 plus tip. These, of course, will take you directly to Pendle Hill.