Maenllwyd Retreat Centre

Maenllwyd is an old farm-building, several hundred years old in parts, in a remote valley in mid-Wales. Modernisation extends to mains water only. There is no electricity, and no telephone, and no reception for mobile phones. Heat and light come from candles, lamps, fires, and gas or paraffin stoves. No one passes by except occasional local sheep-farmers with their flocks. It provides an ideal environment for intensive meditation practice, which is the main emphasis of our retreats. The centre is not open to casual visitors, only for pre-booked residential retreats.

The meditation hall (Chan hall) is kept clean and dry and warm. It is a converted barn which enjoys the benefit of a modern wood-burning stove that both keeps the hall warm and fuels the hot showers. It also boasts modern, eco-friendly, composting toilets.

Sleeping accommodation is best described as basic. The nearest equivalent is a sleeping barn as used by the YHA. Think, 'tent with stone walls' and you will have the idea. Several people of the same sex sleep in close proximity, each with their own futon. Typically this will be in the eaves of one of the main buildings with the roof beams visible above. Such areas are naturally draughty and dusty and may have been visited by local wildlife such as field mice. Heating in these areas is minimal and this requires you to have adequate warm sleeping-bags and blankets along with warm night-clothing. Autumn, winter and spring can be surprisingly cold in these Welsh hills.

The yard is a traditional farmyard, complete with a spring that turns the yard to mud in wet weather. Wellingtons or boots are advised for this area and for walks on the hillside.

Vegetarian food is cooked for us by an imaginative Zen cook, using fresh and largely organic supplies, and bread and cakes are made on the premises. Special diets can be catered for if the cook is advised in advance.

Disabled Access

Unfortunately Maenllwyd is not suitable for wheelchair access and several other disabilities. We are preparing a disability access audit which will be publishd on this site when it is completed. In the meantime if you have any disability please enquire of the membership secretary before making your retreat booking, to ask for a copy of the Access Information Statement and so as to check whether or not we shall be able to accomodate you.

Texts

Here is the text of The Maenllwyd Retreat Opening Ceremony

Perhaps we'll type up some of the other texts that we use and make them available here also. Let us know if you would like to see them here.

You can read one of the versions of the Heart Sutra that we use.

Illustrations

There are several more images of Maenllwyd in our Gallery.