Christmas Retreat at The coach House
The Coach House for Hire
Sharpham Trust Coach House Retreat
Coach House retreat
Winter Retreats at Sharpham House

The Coach House Retreat at Christmas

Summary

4 Reviews
6 nights - Seasonal
Any
Single
Short periods
Max. Spaces: 18

Overview

Give yourself the gift of a nature-based Christmas, on retreat in The Coach House.

You'll be cared for full-board in The Coach House, with plenty of time for rest, reflection and nature connection in the very special location of the Sharpham Estate at Yuletide.

Escape the frantic festive season for a Christmas that gives you the present of space and time for yourself.

 

 

This retreat is for you if:

  • Spend Christmas in community on retreat
  • Explore the benefits of nature-based mindfulness and meditation
  • Rest and rejuvenate whilst deepening your connection with nature and your appreciation of wildlife
  • Develop a wider ecological awareness and understanding of your place in the world as part of, rather than separate from, nature
  • Are aged 18 or above
What is Mindfulness?

What you'll experience on this retreat:

  • periods of silence and quiet contemplation, including a fully-silent Christmas Day
  • be living in community with like-minded people, sharing experiences and tasks
  • experience guided meditations, relaxation sessions and periods of silence and quiet contemplation, amid breath-taking scenery on the banks of the River Dart
  • a chance to learn about & witness our efforts to re-wild the Sharpham Estate 
  • full-board accommodation in a Grade II-listed Georgian Coach House set within Capability Brownian parkland, with Grade 2*-listed gardens designed by Percy Cane in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty close to nature, amid breath-taking scenery on the banks of the River Dart
  • a single-occupancy room and your own space in which to rejuvenate, with free time to deeply rest and reconnect with yourself, far from the busy-ness of daily life. 
  • a safe and supportive community with like-minded people, sharing experiences in the kitchen gardens and on the wider Estate
  • delicious, healthy, home-cooked vegetarian food that regularly receives rave reviews
Landscape in winter

What you'll need to know:

If you decide to stay with us, we’ll send you a list of what you need to bring for this retreat in your Welcome Letter that we send out after you've booked.

You can also find out more about staying with us on our Frequently Asked Questions page, including:

  • accessibility information
  • why we encourage you to come on your own and not with partners or friends
  • what the difference is between our retreats
View our FAQs

Schedule

If you're coming to stay with us on retreat, it is important to make a commitment to arrive in time for the first group meeting and to attend all the days.

This ensures you experience the retreat programme from start to finish and helps your group of participants to gel.


Silence

All our retreats include periods of silence as a way of deepening into mindful awareness.

If you are new to spending time in silence in the company of other people, it can feel awkward to begin with. But we encourage you to explore the silent periods with a spirit of openness and curiosity - people usually find it to be a positive experience. 

The retreats typically move into silence each evening from 9pm - 9.30am the following day


Typical Schedule

Day 1: Arrive between 3 - 5pm for Welcome Meeting at 5pm and settling in

Mornings Afternoons
6.45am - wake up  1.00pm - meditation
7.00am – morning movement/meditation 1.30pm - lunch
8.00am - household tasks 3.00pm – free time or group walk
8.30am – breakfast 6.00pm – supper
9.30am – home group (silence ends)  8.00pm - meditation and deep rest
10.45am - gardening 9.00pm – Personal time (Coach House moves into silence until 9.30am the next day)

Final day: depart by 11am

The retreat will move into silence each evening from 9pm – 9.30am and on one full day in each retreat.

Reviews

Stunning location, beautiful food and very comfortable rooms. I attended a new year retreat which was held with much care and warmth and kindness. The structure of the days gave me time to myself, time out in nature, time to get to know and connect with others and the meditation helped me to feel balanced and relaxed and able to face my busy life again. it truly was a wonderful recharge.

A participant on a New Year's retreat at The Coach House

My time over Christmas was the most transformative experience for me ever! I was exhausted to my core when I arrived and was so warmly and generously received that from the moment I set foot on the earth at Sharpham my whole body began to relax. In fact, writing this, I am moved to tears and am full of gratitude.

The gentle kindness shown has filtered through like rain on parched ground. I find it really hard to have compassion for myself.
I loved the dawn movement followed by meditation in the morning. The structure of the day has shown me the felt benefits.

The two leaders were amazing - I can't thank them enough. And the majestic nature, owls and wind in the trees fed my soul. Even the rain was nourishing!

participant on Christmas retreat at The Coach House

My Christmas retreat was a deep blessing and a meaningful growth challenge. The setting, food, fellow retreatants and teachers could scarcely have been more supportive. There were extra special moments I will remember for a lifetime. I write this 3 months later and can report the experience has continued to support me into the year. I'll return.

participant on Christmas retreat at Sharpham House
See all Reviews

The Coach House nature mindfulness retreat centre at The Sharpham Trust

The Coach House

When you stay at The Coach House, you'll be in comfy, single rooms in a beautifully converted 18th century stable block, set in the stunning scenery of Sharpham's grounds. You'll experience daily meditation and movement sessions, time in our gardens and on the land and you'll eat delicious and homegrown vegetarian and vegan meals.

Coach House retreats focus on nature connection through a varied programme of retreats designed to connect you to Sharpham's flora and fauna, with plenty of time for you to rest and reflect.

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Leaders

Frank
Frank Gillet - volunteer coordinator Read more +
Nicky Reed
Nicky Reed - Volunteer retreat coordinator Read more +
Patti
Patti Summerville Read more +
Rachel Cottam
Rachel Cottam Read more +
Wendy Greek
Wendy Greek - Coach House Cook Read more +

Costs

There is a single rate of £695 for our Christmas and New Year retreats in The Coach House. There are shared rooms in our Sharpham House Christmas and New Year retreats at a lower cost.

There will be a maximum of 18 guests on this retreat.

All rooms are single occupancy, giving you your own space in which to relax.

If you have a medical condition that requires you to have an en-suite room, please contact the Programme Administrator on the number below as these rooms are limited and are bookable on a first-come first-serve basis.

Book easily and securely online or by phoning 01803 732542

Terms & Conditions

Please click here to see our booking and cancellations policy

Room Types

Click here for more information on our types of bedrooms and facilities.

Bursaries

This retreat does not have any bursary places but limited 50% bursaries offering reduced-price retreats are available for those experiencing financial hardship on our other retreats. Please contact the Programme Administrator at least 4 weeks in advance if you wish to apply.

Our bursary fund relies on donations. If you’d like to help another to go on retreat here through our bursary scheme, you can give online quickly and easily by clicking here

Available dates

We don't have any dates currently scheduled but subscribe to hear FIRST when dates become available