Buddhafield North

Dear friends of Buddhafield North,

Every year we run a meditation retreat, a women+ weekend, and our open retreat.

The 2027 retreat details will be on here soon.

We look forward to seeing you in the field!

Who We Are

Buddhafield North is a small, community-run Buddhist organisation. We run several retreats each year, aiming to help us connect to ourselves, each other, and the earth we all share.

Our retreats take place outdoors, with all activities held in the open air, or under canvas. We all camp together, and spend our time living a simple life, giving our minds a chance to slow down, disconnect from our usual distractions, and reconnect with nature.

We run a week-long meditation retreat, a women+ weekend, and a week-long open retreat which is open to everyone, including families and children. Each retreat is a bit different, but all share the common threads of the outdoors, a return to nature, and the teachings of the Buddha.

Our retreats are held at Fell Edge Farm near Ilkley in the Yorkshire Dales, at a lovely hillside site with beautiful views, dark nights, old trees, and several nearby walks up to the moors or down to the river.  

Buddhism

Buddhism is often described as a path of practice, leading from where we are now, to a higher state of being, to a more and more positive life. The depths and heights of our being are progressively transformed, culminating, ultimately, in the state of Enlightenment.

Buddhism has moved to many different cultures and as it does it takes on the local cultural ‘clothes’; in Japan, Zen Buddhism can appear very austere, Tibetan Buddhism is very colourful and flamboyant.

But each manifestation of the Buddha’s teachings is intended to take us closer and closer to the state of Enlightenment.

Buddhism has now arrived in the West. In fact, all the cultural manifestations of Buddhism arrived here virtually simultaneously. We now have to make sense of all these different teachings, we have to find a way of using what we have inherited from the East, but it has to be a way that works for us living now, in the modern world.

We, us people in the West, are often alienated from the natural world, and, in a related way, are alienated from ourselves. At Buddhafield North, we hope to go a small way towards bringing ourselves back into touch with nature and more in touch with our deeper selves.

For more on Buddhism visit The Buddhist Centre.

  • A metal Buddha statue surrounded by colorful flowers including pink roses, orange gerbera daisies, and various greenery, with a red curtain in the background.

  • Fire burning inside a fire pit with a metal lid and bricks around it.

  • A group of people walking on a rural road during sunset, carrying backpacks and outdoor gear.

  • A plate of assorted salads and grilled vegetables being held over grass and dirt, with a person wearing black shoes and jeans visible in the background.

  • Crowd of people standing in line outdoors near a large white tent with trees and blue sky in the background.

  • Two young girls, one smiling and posing with a peace sign, sitting on the floor in front of a display of Buddhist statues and artifacts. The older girl has long, curly blonde hair and is wearing denim overalls, while the younger girl has straight hair and is wearing a patterned dress. The display includes seated and standing figurines, candles, plants, a snake, and a framed picture of a deity.

  • A woman with gray hair and glasses sitting on a blue mat inside a decorated tent, with a display of photographs, artwork, candles, and plants on the ground next to her.

  • A woman with gray hair and glasses playing the violin outdoors at a park or fairground, with colorful flags hanging in the background, during daytime.

  • Festive indoor event with colorful bunting banners hanging under a tent-like roof, green plant in the foreground, and people standing and sitting around with chairs and boxes on the floor.

  • A person sitting on grass, getting a tattoo on their forearm with black floral designs, while there are various papers with images and instructions on a picnic blanket nearby.

  • A young man with curly dark hair drinking from a white cup outdoors during daytime. He is wearing a patterned shirt, and there is a large white tent behind him. The background features green trees and a blurred outdoor setting.

  • Person washing dishes in a pink plastic tub filled with soapy water, with various kitchen items and cleaning supplies on the counter nearby.