Solitary Retreats
in our bespoke Shepherd's Hut
in our bespoke Shepherd's Hut
Our Shepherd's Hut is an exceptionally well situated solitary venue; set in a secluded area that leads directly up through ancient woodland onto the Quantock moors with their many miles of quiet footpaths and bridle ways. The woodland is home to herds of red deer, badgers and delightful bird life, as well as horses that roam across the moors. The hut is ideal for solitary retreats; it is well insulated and has all amenities to make it comfortable in both summer and winter.
The hut has mains water, a wood stove, gas cooking facilities, solar power and an adjacent hot shower and compost toilet. There is a quality double mattress, writing desk, meditation mats and cushions, an armchair and a selection of Dharma books. It also has beautiful views across the Bristol Channel towards Wales.
The hut is well separated from Alfoxton House (300 metres from the main house) and its community and retreat activities.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions (alfoxtonsolitary@gmail.com), or go ahead and submit a booking request using the form below!
As with everything we do at Alfoxton, we run our solitary retreat bookings on a Dana (donation) economy. A deposit of £250 per week will secure your booking and cover our costs. You will be asked to pay your deposit once we confirm your booking.
If you are a Triratna Order member and need financial support to pay a retreat deposit, you can apply for a grant from the Abhayaratna Trust.
Minimum booking is 1 week, Monday to Monday. If booking longer than a week, we still require retreatants to vacate on a weekday.
If you choose to cancel your booking more than two months before the start date, a full refund of your deposit will be given, minus a £10 administration fee. If cancelled between 1 and 2 months before the start date, a 50% refund will be given, minus the admin fee. If cancelled less than one month before the start date, no refund will be given.
Double bed with quality mattress
Meditation cushions
Dharma books
Wood-burning stove
Compost toilet and shower adjacent to hut
2-ring gas hob and kettle
Coolbox (no fridge)
Solar electric supply
Linen and towels are provided
The Shepherd's Hut is up a relatively steep grassy slope from the car park. There are steps to access the hut.
We provide a general stock of dry and tinned staples in the hut (hot drinks, rice, lentils, basic herbs, etc). Retreatants should bring their own fresh food: fruit, vegetables etc. As the hut runs on solar there is no fridge, although there is a coolbox and we'll deliver icepacks as needed.
Feel free to arrive any time between 3-5.30pm on your first booked day. Please email to inform us of your estimated arrival time.
The nearest railway stations are Bridgwater and Taunton (around 1h 45min from London), with local bus links.
Our postcode is TA5 1SG but doesn't pinpoint us exactly in google maps. Use grid reference 51.165187, -3.220080.
The What3Words for our car park are ///soup.candy.huddling
There is a Premiere garage shop 1h 15mins walk across the hills. The nearest supermarkets are in Williton (20 min drive) and Bridgwater (30 min drive).
Use the calendar to view availability, then complete the booking form: