LAND & HEART: HARVEST FESTIVAL
Gathering and preserving with reflection and intention
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18th - 24th September 2025
This is the final in our Land & Heart series of work retreats. These retreats offer an opportunity to integrate work and practice by means of nature connection, Buddhist practices of meditation, ritual and acts of service.
Harvest time at Alfoxton! Autumn will be coming in and the land changing its colours as we approach the end of the growing year.
Join us as we mindfully pick, chop and preserve, rejoicing in the bounties of the land and garden. We will not only gather seasonal foods from the garden but also venture out onto the land to forage for mushrooms and herbs to prepare an equinox feast. We'll be eating food from the land and garden throughout the retreat and you will have the chance to take home with you whatever we produce in abundance.
This work retreat is an opportunity to integrate meditation with daily life, as well as using work as practice through the act of service, mindfulness and nature connection.
The themes of this retreat will invite you to let go of the scarcity mindset and move into the realm of abundance, gratitude and gifts. It will be an opportunity to mark the turning of the seasons and contemplate our own personal harvests, reflecting on our actions from the past year, ritually setting intentions on the day of the equinox for the coming winter.
The wild beauty of Alfoxton Park and the Quantocks national park offers a unique setting to engage with land centred rituals and activities. You are more than welcome to bring musical instruments, poetry and stories to contribute to the Equinox festivities!
FACILITATION TEAM
Olivia Haywood-Smith
Olivia is the Head Gardener at Alfoxton Park, bringing extensive horticulture and foraging knowledge to the community.
Olivia is passionate about nurturing connections between people and the natural world and has held a series of successful land-based retreats at Alfoxton. She leads weekly meditation classes and works with many volunteers in the garden, with a hope to inspire the intergration of buddhist practices with nature connection.
timings & travel
timings & travel
TIMINGS
Unless otherwise stated, please arrive between 3-5pm on the first day. Dinner is served at 6pm, with the opening session at 7.30pm. Our retreats usually finish by midday on the last day.
The exact schedule will be provided when you arrive, but here's a sample schedule of a typical day:
7.30am Meditation with community
8.15-9am Breakfast and prepare for day
9am Sharing circle
9.30am Work period, with tea break
12.45pm Meditation
1.15pm Lunch
2.15pm Work period
4.15pm Free time
5.30pm Meditation with community
6pm Dinner
7.30pm Meditation/ritual
TRAVEL
The nearest railway stations are Bridgwater and Taunton. We are about 1h 15min from Bristol by car.
The 15 bus leaves Bridgwater at 16:50 during college term dates and stops at the Plough Inn in Holford. We are a 15min walk from there.
Please get in touch for further advice with public transport, or for help arranging lifts / carpools.
Make sure to put "Coach House 2, Alfoxton Park" into Google Maps. Other variations will take you to Alfoxton House nearby which is not us. Otherwise use grid reference 51.165187, -3.220080.
The What3Words for our car park are ///soup.candy.huddling
Accommodation & Food
Accommodation & Food
ACCOMMODATION
This is a camping retreat - bring a tent or live-in vehicle. Toilets, showers and a sauna are available. Warm and waterproof clothing are advisable, along with gloves and boots or wellies. You may also wish to bring a torch and hot water bottle.
We have limited accommodation indoors for those with specific needs. Please let us know when you book if this is the case for you.
FOOD
Delicious vegan meals will be provided throughout the retreat.
accessibility & diets
accessibility & diets
We are committed to Alfoxton being a fully accessible venue and are working hard to achieve this. However, while the renovation work continues, visitors with specific mobility or accommodation needs may experience barriers to accessing all areas of the building and land.
If you have any questions or concerns, just get in touch, and please inform us of any significant dietary or accessibility requirements before submitting your booking request.
Costs
Costs
Alfoxton Park is a charity and works on the principle of Dana or a 'gift economy'. Read more about Dana here.
A £108 deposit will secure your place on this event. You will be invited to make a donation to Alfoxton when you attend.
If you are an Triratna Order member and need financial support to pay a retreat deposit, you can apply for a grant from the Abhayaratna Trust.
TECHNOLOGY, ALCOHOL & DRUGS
TECHNOLOGY, ALCOHOL & DRUGS
All of our events are alcohol and drug free.
During the meditation retreats we ask you to turn off your mobile phones and other devices and not contact people outside of the retreat.
For all other events and workshops we ask you to be mindful of the use of devices and stay present, in order to make the most of your time here.
Any Questions?
Any Questions?
Check our FAQ page or send us an e-mail at events@alfoxtonpark.org.uk
We have two additional retreats in the Land and Heart series in 2025: Tree Care in March and Cultivating Growth in May.
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