Houghton Chapel was built in 1840 by villagers Potto Brown and Joseph Goodman.

The Chapel became part of the United Reformed Church (URC) and continued as the village non-conformist place of worship until the 1980s.
By then membership had fallen to six and the URC decided that it was no longer viable as an independent chapel.

The Retreat is used by a wide variety of groups including churches, guides, brownies, other youth groups, and families.
In addition many organisations hire The Retreat for day-time or evening conferences and meetings. The Retreat can handle groups up to about 30.

The Retreat remains a consecrated building and there is a regular pattern of services throughout the year.