▁may ▁refer ▁to ▁some ▁distant ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁today ▁a ▁property ▁that ▁is ▁either ▁a ▁normal ▁parish ▁church , ▁or ▁ceased ▁to ▁have ▁any ▁religious ▁function ▁some ▁time ▁ago . ▁ ▁Second ary ▁churches ▁or ▁establish ments ▁run ▁from ▁a ▁monaster y ▁were ▁often ▁called ▁" h erm it ages ". ▁▁▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁some ▁own ers ▁of ▁English ▁country ▁houses ▁equ ipped ▁their ▁gard ens ▁with ▁a ▁" h erm itage ", ▁sometimes ▁a ▁Goth ic ▁ru in , ▁but ▁sometimes , ▁as ▁at ▁P ain sh ill ▁Park , ▁a ▁rom antic ▁h ut ▁which ▁a ▁" h erm it " ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁to ▁occup y . ▁ ▁The ▁so - called ▁Er m ita ▁de ▁San ▁Pel ay o ▁y ▁San ▁Is id oro ▁is ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁a ▁Roman es que ▁church ▁from ▁Á v ila , ▁Spain , ▁that ▁eventually ▁ended ▁several ▁hundred ▁miles ▁away , ▁as ▁a ▁garden ▁feature ▁in ▁the ▁Buen ▁Ret iro ▁Park ▁in ▁Madrid . ▁ ▁Western ▁Christian ▁tradition ▁ ▁A ▁herm itage ▁is ▁any ▁type ▁of ▁domestic ▁dwell ing ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁herm it ▁lives . ▁While ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁isol ation ▁can ▁vary ▁widely , ▁more ▁often ▁than ▁not ▁it ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁a ▁nearby ▁monaster y . ▁Typ ically , ▁herm it ages ▁consist ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁det ached ▁room , ▁or ▁sometimes ▁a ▁dedicated ▁space ▁within ▁an ▁open ▁floor ▁plan ▁building , ▁for ▁religious ▁dev otion