Alfoxton Park - The Wordsworths at Alfoxton

The Wordsworths at Alfoxton

8th - 11th April 2027

William and Dorothy Wordsworth lived at Alfoxton for one year in 1797–98, to be near their friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who lived with his wife and child in nearby Nether Stowey. For William, Dorothy and Samuel, the year spent in each other's company was a time of breakthrough, in friendship and poetry.

On this retreat we will encounter some of the poems from Lyrical Ballads, in the context of remembering the time, the friendship, the process and the landscape in which the poems arose. These poems combine imagination, verse and a vision of human potential with many resonances with the Buddha's teachings.

The retreat will include morning meditation, sessions of discussion and reading of poetry, walking in the grounds, as well as writing, sharing and ritual. The retreat will suit those with an interest in how English Romantic poetry relates to Buddhism and meditation.

Suitable for those with an experience of meditation within The Triratna Buddhist Community.

Facilitation Team

Dhivan

Dhivan is a Buddhist practitioner, scholar and long standing member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, he is currently based in Frome while writing his new book. Dhivan's research is in early Buddhist philosophy, and on the reception of ideas from Buddhist philosophy into western Buddhism. His book, This Being, That Becomes: The Buddha's Teaching on Conditionality, was published in 2011.

Timings & travel

Timings

Please arrive between 3pm and 5pm on the first day. Dinner is served at 6pm. The retreat will finish by midday on the last day.

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

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

We serve a vegan menu using mostly organic fruit and vegetables, from Riverford and our own walled garden. We are able to cater for most general food intolerances, such as gluten free, but not for all diets. See 'Accessibility and Special Diets' below.

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. Please get in touch about any significant accessiblity requirements.

It is not possible to cook for people with highly sensitive allergies: if you are a coeliac or have any other medical condition which could seriously jeopardise your health or your experience then please get in touch to discuss a potential self-catering plan with our Kitchen manager.

Please contact us about either of these before submitting your booking request.

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

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?

Check our FAQ page or send us an e-mail at events@alfoxtonpark.org.uk

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