Sharpham House

General information

The Sharpham Trust’s spectacular setting beside the River Dart in South Devon, UK offers opportunities for transformation through mindfulness, nature and learning.

The Sharpham Trust is an education and conservation charity set in 550 acres of the Sharpham Estate, on a stunning stretch of the Dart, within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Trust is based within and works to protected and conserve the Grade 1-listed Georgian Palladian villa Sharpham House, its Capability Brown-designed landscape and 18th century walled garden.

At the heart of the Sharpham Trust ethos is our desire to build a more mindful, compassionate and environmentally-sustainable world.

We connect people with nature and foster mindfulness and well-being through our programme of retreats, mindfulness courses, outdoor learning and the arts.

Our work with Mindfulness

Mindfulness allows us to pay attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally. Sharpham has been a centre for mindfulness since the 1980s and the practice lies at the core of many of our activities.

Mindfulness is now widely recognised within the NHS as a clinically proven practice, which can help towards reducing stress and enhancing overall levels of health and wellbeing.

We host secular mindfulness retreats within Sharpham House (including retreats for beginners to mindfulness) and at the famed Barn Retreat Centre, elsewhere on the Estate. The Barn has been highlighted by The Sunday Telegraph as one of the top 8 retreats in UK and Europe and has offered retreats based on the Buddhist tradition for more than 25 years.

Retreatants benefit from the opportunity to enjoy the peaceful, reflective and life-enriching environment of the estate and many people develop a strong emotional connection to the place.

We host mindfulness courses at Sharpham and in nearby Totnes and Torquay, helping people understand the principles of mindfulness and meditation.

Retreats at Sharpham

The retreats in Sharpham House are secular and suit anyone looking to restore, rejuvenate, relax, de-stress and reconnect with themselves and nature in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. They are perfect for those newer to mindfulness and meditation as well as those with more experience, keen to integrate their practice in everyday life.

We also help participants develop mindfulness through themed retreats including yoga, singing, art, food or walking in the soul-enriching landscape.

The retreats within Sharpham House are fully-catered with support from house staff, ensuring a relaxing experience where retreatants can make the most of the venue’s peaceful atmosphere.

Sharpham as a venue

By using the exceptional beauty of the house and its landscape, we also provide opportunities for transformation and change through a wide range of courses and events including outdoor learning and the arts.

The Sharpham Estate is a sought-after venue for residential and non-residential events from small family parties to larger gatherings such as weddings and courses. We are also the home of the Sharpham Meadow Natural Burial Ground and the popular Barn Retreat Centre.

We hire out our Bathing House for holidays. Built in the 1770s, at the same time as Sharpham House the Bathing House is on a bend in the river, below the main House.

There are three tenant farms on the estate, including the award-winning Sharpham Vineyard and Sharpham Wine and Cheese, Upper Sharpham Barton and Lower Sharpham Barton, run with our partners Ambios and Robert Owen Communities, running programmes with adults with learning disabilities and youth mental health recovery.

Join our mailing list via our Facebook page or our website to ensure that you hear about new Retreats at Sharpham and our other activities as soon as they are available.