Solo retreats in The Cabin
Hear FIRST about our retreats & events
For people who have participated in a Barn retreat, or a silent retreat elsewhere, and who are experienced meditators, we offer the opportunity for a solitary, silent, and self-sufficient retreat in The Cabin.
We enter solitude, in which also we lose loneliness…True solitude is found in the wild places, where one is without human obligation. One’s inner voices become audible. One feels the attraction of one’s most intimate sources. In consequence, one responds more clearly to other lives. The more coherent one becomes within oneself as a creature, the more fully one enters into the communion of all creatures.
- Wendell Berry
You will stay in The Cabin close to the Upper Garden of The Barn.
The Cabin contains a bed, meditation mat, wood-burning stove, calor cooking stove and cooking equipment, table and chair. There is a compost loo close by, and you can use a shower in The Barn when arranged in advance.
The Cabin has running water but no electricity.
Lunch, prepared by Barn coordinators, can be discreetly collected from outside the main building daily (Monday to Thursday). All other food is provided in The Cabin and a list of additional food which can be requested from a coordinator can be found in The Cabin.
You will be expected to create your own personal daily structure which includes meditation and 1-2 hours (or optionally more) work meditation on the land. Support is given with this on your arrival.
What you 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
- what the difference is between our retreats
The Cabin is set in woodland within the grounds of The Barn, in the River Dart valley.
We are 3 miles from Totnes – famous for its Transition Town movement
We are in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Click here for our How to Find Us page on this website.
Click here to view and download directions and a map to The Barn
Click here view and download walking/cycling directions to The Barn
If you have a medical condition that requires you to have a room close to a toilet, please contact The Barn team on the number below and we'll try to help.
Phones and laptops
We ask all participants to turn off mobile phones and electronic devices for the whole of your retreat. This helps you and everyone else to disengage from daily life and live fully in the simplicity and quietude of a Buddhist retreat.
Sustainability
We take sustainability seriously.
Heating and hot water in The Barn is run from our log furnace and solar thermal panels. We supply as much food as possible from our organic gardens; the rest comes from Riverford Organic Farms and Essential Trading Cooperative. We also have two large photovoltaic solar panel arrays on the Estate and use biodegradable cleaning products wherever possible.
You can pay a deposit of £100 to secure your place, then the remaining amount will need to be paid four weeks before you are due to come on retreat.
If you are booking your retreat with less than four weeks until you’re due to arrive, then you are required to pay the whole amount.
You don’t need to contact us to ask to pay the supported rate, you can determine this for yourself and select whichever option feels more suitable when you book online.
| Rate | 3 nights | 6 nights | 10 nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard rate | £193 | £385 | £642 |
| Paying the Standard Rate means you will be contributing towards our running costs, supporting the work of The Barn and helping retreatants of lower incomes to access our retreats. | |||
| Supported Rate | £132 | £265 | £442 |
| The Sharpham Trust is committed to ensuring that retreats are accessible to all - regardless of income. The Supported Rate is for those unable to pay the Standard rate. |
Solo retreats follow the flow of the group retreats at The Barn, therefore they are normally six-night retreats, with occasional three- and ten-night stays available. If you are wanting to stay for fewer nights than this, that is possible, but there isn’t a discounted rate for that.
How to book easily and securely:
- online on this page
- by phoning 01803 732661
- or by emailing [email protected]
If you've got any questions about this retreat, call The Barn team on 01803 732661 or email [email protected]
We’re not always in the office, so be prepared to leave a message saying when we could call you back.
Do check our Calendar to see and book for our events - or join our mailing list by clicking here to be kept in touch about Sharpham Trust news, retreats & events.
