Shawbottom Farm Retreat Instructions

Emergency Contacts

In general it is best to break off contact with the outside world for the duration of a retreat. However there may be times when you need to be contactable in the event of emergencies arising at home or in the family.

Mobile signal is poor and may be absent in this area so relying on your mobile to receive messages is not a good strategy, and checking your phone when walking outside is disruptive to your retreat.

To address this we have a dedicated mobile phone at the retreat. We give details in your pre-retreat emails. You can give this number to your family if you feel they may need to contact you urgently. The phone will be checked by the retreat staff for messages at least once per day. Note that this phone is for urgent messages only, and is only checked during retreats.

Directions

The Shawbottom website (branded “Peak District Retreat”) gives full details of directions to Shawbottom by various modes of transport, including airports, trains, buses, taxis and private cars.

Car parking spaces at Shawbottom are restricted by the planning conditions, so please try to car-share or use public transport where possible and avoid bringing unnecessarily large vehicles.

What to Bring

Being at an elevated location (about 350m, or 1100 feet) the weather may be cooler and wetter than at lower levels, including in the summer.

The buildings are very recently modernised with good insulation and with underfloor central heating. Nevertheless the rooms may be cool because of the ventilation necessary to reduce the risk of Covid transmission.

Beds and mattresses are provided with a bottom sheet, a 10.5 tog duvet with cover, and a pillow with pillow case. In addition there are some extra blankets available.

Bring the following essential items:

• towel and toiletries
• a blanket to wrap yourself with during meditation (optional)
• warm sweaters
• wellington boots if you want to walk on the fields in wet weather
• good rainwear
• walking boots for use during walk periods
• indoor shoes/slippers for use in the dormitories and dining room
• a torch may be useful for using bathrooms at night without disturbing others by turning on main lights, and also for walking outside at night as the lack of artificial lighting in this area means nights can be pitch black
• We also suggest that you bring wax earplugs if you are a light sleeper and may be disturbed by snoring in the dormitory accommodation.