Solitary Retreat

I recently returned from a rejuvenating 6-day solitary retreat at the Hermitage. If you are drawn to silently spending your days, being surrounded by nature, and deepening your practice, this place might be the right one for you.

A simple but comfortable accommodation, delicious organic food, and the support of The Barn coordinators, that's all you need :-) Thank you, may you all flourish! Much metta!

A lovely stay in the Hermitage, just perfect for a solitary retreat and excellent food served each lunchtime in the week.

The Hermitage at Sharpham Trust provided the ideal setting for my solitary, silent retreat. The staff and volunteers at the nearby Barn Retreat Centre provided a supportive and discreet presence, and the surrounding countryside was beautiful and peaceful. I would certainly recommend The Hermitage for anyone with an established meditation practice and/or experience of self-guided solitary retreats.

Staying in the Hermitage helped me build confidence around my sense of resilience and connection. Partly because the space is held by the Presence & generosity of the co-ordinators which vibrates through the whole energy of this jewel of a place. A blessing indeed

I stayed in the Kuti for a solitary retreat in November 2021. It was a wonderful experience, seclusion and peace but the knowledge that someone could be on hand if I needed them. I was provided with a delicious cooked lunch everyday. I would recommend a stay to anyone thinking of a solitary retreat. I will be going back again many times.

I booked the Cabin for a week of solitary retreat in November 2022. Before, during and after my week, the Sharpham Barn Retreat team were friendly, welcoming, kind and helpful, helping me to settle into the Cabin for the week, providing delicious home cooked food each day in a tiffin left on a wall, being supportive yet leaving me to retreat in silence. In short, helping me to make the most out of a week of precious time of meditation. The Cabin itself was a wonderful space and had everything I needed to enjoy a week of comfortable simplicity - warm and snug with the log burner, beautifully secluded set in a stunning backdrop of woodland, with views down to the River Dart and a sense of peace pervading through the retreat centre. Thank you Sharpham Trust!

The setting is stunning, the Barn people so genuine and supportive, and visiting teachers with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Informal and relaxed. A great balance for me of mindfulness practice and time in nature, with teaching tailored to the group and plenty of free time. The Barn also has a well-stocked library to dive into. If you like an informal retreat where - in the work periods - you will be helping to do some of the housekeeping and gardening tasks which help keep this place running, you'll enjoy it.

I’ve been to many different meditation retreats and of course, have been meditating on my own for decades. This Solitary Retreat has just suited my state of mind perfectly. Thank you so much, Sharpham Trust x

''It’s such a precious and rare gift to be in a space where one feels totally safe and held, yet also alone.

The [Hermitage] is in a beautiful and secluded spot, so I felt a more intimate connection with nature (I was lucky enough to experience one night with a fierce and magical thunderstorm!).

This setting gave me the courage to sit with difficult things and experience them as they are, which really helped to shift my relationship with them"

Stayed at the Hermitage for a 5 day solitary retreat which exceeded expectations.

The staff were on-point: warm and welcoming while very discreet; the accommodation (hut) was splendidly secluded and well stocked with a selection of condiments, fruits, nuts and cereals enough to satisfy the most indulgent of retreatants...and of course the location was spectacular: peaceful, quiet and close enough for meanders along rhe many paths.

Highly recommend and will certainly return!