Alfoxton Park - SUB35 Between Roof and Sky 2026

Sub 35 Retreat
Between Roof and Sky

30th April - 4th May 2026

September 2025. The biodigester is blocked - all the toilets are out of bounds. I top up the loo roll in the compost toilets. The dedication ceremony fades out. It’s the first night of the Land & Harvest work retreat. Tonight, the shrine is bare. By the end of the week it’ll be covered in foraged mushrooms and veg harvested from the walled garden. We’ll devote the retreat to Ratnasambhava, Buddha of abundance and generosity. In the kitchen, a trio of musicians play folk music. The fiddler has popped by to help us with electrics. Retreatants, guests, community members and volunteers enjoy the evening together around the dinner table. There is beauty and connection in the air. The dysfunctional sewage system is nothing more than a practical detail.

Katherine, Alfoxton Park community member

This Sub35 retreat will explore what it means for Triratna to be radical. We’ll be exploring how the Alfoxton Park project encapsulates (or doesn’t encapsulate!) Sangharakshita’s vision for the new Buddhist society. What is the relevance of community, team based right livelihood, nature, creativity and chaos for young people trying to live a Dharma life? Does it matter if there are holes in the roof?

The retreat will also look at our aspirations for the future of the Triratna movement, as we come together to explore what's most relevant for young Buddhists in 2026 and beyond.

Over the long weekend there will be time on the land, discussion groups, silence, ritual and meditation. It will be an opportunity to come together with people at a similar stage of practise, as we look into what role places like Alfoxton Park can have in our personal and collective myths.

Facilitation Team

Nagavajri

Nāgavajrī ('she who is a diamond thunderbolt of the dragons') is based at the Sheffield Buddhist Centre. She has been practicing since 2014 and was ordained in 2024. She is a Padmasambhava practitioner and has a deep love of ritual and of play.

Aryadasa

Āryadasā (He who serves what is Noble) is based at Sheffield Buddhist Centre. He has been practicing since 2011 and was ordained in 2017.

The Alfoxton Park community

Who is the retreat suitable for?

This retreat is suitable for any Sub35 Buddhists, who have experience practising within the Triratna context. We ask that you are actively following the five precepts. You do not need to have been to Alfoxton Park before.

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

Delicious vegan meals will be provided throughout the retreat.

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

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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