Although Gayles is open to all and we have no religious or secular affiliations, it is important to us that it is respected and utilised as a place for personal spiritual and emotional growth so, notwithstanding this, we expect teachers to hold their group safely; to maintain boundaries and for the practice to be properly grounded.

Gayles is not for you if your approach involves emotional release techniques (such as scream/laughter or intense physical therapies), nudity, exploration of trauma, regression therapy, sexually (rather than gender) focused agendas, loud drumming or music, dressing up, Boot Camp style methods or the use of restricted or mind-altering substances or practices.
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As the emotional and physical well-being of our visitors is paramount, please note that the teachers holding a retreat at Gayles must be fully trained and qualified with a recognised professional organisation or body in the subject that they are bringing to their retreat.

Although the accommodation, facilities and catering are all of a high quality and the immediate ambience and countryside around are uniquely beautiful, Gayles is not a spa/hotel type venue and is not suitable for pampering/getaway weekends.


Please also see the 'Rules' section below.

We do not publish the fees on our website but we will be pleased to send you our Costs & Info sheet if you
‍e-mail us

Please e-mail us and we will send you a Booking Form along with our Costs & Info. sheet. Please complete and return the form to us (email is fine) and arrange to pay a non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of £400 as soon as possible to secure your dates. The balance is then payable on your arrival.

Please note that the Facilities and the Catering are invoiced for separately.

We accept bookings up to two years in advance.

Yes, we recommend it! Please make an appointment first; Wednesday or Thursday mornings are usually best for us although we can be flexible.

The deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable unless we are obliged to cancel the retreat; in which case we will refund your deposit in full or invite you to transfer but we cannot accept any further liability.

If you cancel and we are unable to fill your booking, to help cover our losses we will invoice you for a further £350 which is payable within fourteen days of issue. If we are able to fill your booking we will refund your deposit less a £25 administration fee.

We ask that you pay the full cost (including for the catering) for individuals who cancel where less than 48 hours notice is given.

There is no charge for individuals who cancel if more than 48 hours notice is given.

Please note that we cannot accept responsibility for retreats cancelled for reasons beyond our control (such as adverse weather conditions or facilitators being unable to fulfil their commitments).

We ask that you bring a minimum of twelve people (including facilitators) and we can accommodate up to 20 (with camping in the Summer). Please note that this may change where we need to accommodate pandemic guidelines or other statutory constraints.

Teachers are welcome to arrive after 2.00pm on the first day, students after 4.00pm. We ask that retreats end by 3.00pm on the last day. Please contact us if you need to make other arrangements.

Yes, Gayles is covered for Public Liability; we ask that you also arrange your own insurance to protect you against problems arising from any situations in your practice or off-site. Please bear in mind that you are responsible for the safety of your group (and it is a condition of your coming here that a member of staff is on-site throughout whenever there are any students at Gayles).

We're afraid not.

That is usually fine; please arrange this with us before making your order though.

– We have yoga mats, straps, meditation cushions, blankets and a flip chart in the practice area that you may use at no extra charge.

– The dining/social area has stereo separates (cd, radio and amplifier) with an mp3 connecting lead.

– There is a large (unheated) outside swimming pool that is open usually between mid-June and mid-September, depending on the seasonal weather, and may be used at the teacher’s discretion. Please ask your group to bring their own beach towels if they plan to swim.

– There is a substantial bonfire area available. We charge an additional £4 per person for a large fire. There is also a smaller fire site in the pool enclosure which you may use for a flat fee of £20.

Not specifically, although there are areas that therapists can use and we can advise you on where may be most practical for your retreat. There is no specialised equipment, such as massage beds, at Gayles.

Please be aware that there is a surcharge of £40 per day for visiting professionals, such as masseurs, who do not stay on your retreat and whose services are provided at an extra cost to your participants.

We try not to impose on people but we ask that you and your group adhere to a few basic boundaries:

– Teachers must be fully trained and qualified with a recognised professional organisation or body in the subject that they are bringing to their retreat.

– At least one facilitator must remain on-site throughout your stay when there are students present and until all your group have left.

– Please ensure that your group clear and wash up after meals and leave the dormitories and practice areas clean and tidy.

– Incense, aromatics or herbs must not be burned inside the buildings (as the aroma lingers and can be intrusive on subsequent retreats). Please discuss their use with us first if you are considering using them on your retreat.

– Please ensure that shoes are not worn indoors in any of the buildings (you may wish to encourage your group to bring slippers).

– The outbuildings, barns and fenced gardens are out of bounds although you are welcome to wander in the retreat areas and adjacent fields.

– Please stay on the obvious paths on the farmland (which is not our property) and do not linger near our neighbours’ houses; they are not involved in the retreats and it would be appreciated if people respected their privacy.

– Please do not pick the flowers and fruit around Gayles unless you have agreed this with us beforehand. Similarly, no fires outside, please.

– Smoking is not allowed inside any of the buildings, outside is fine.

– In making a booking you accept these Terms & Conditions.

We're afraid not.

No, but Gayles is well-provided for by public transport; there is a bus stop by the entrance and the buses run directly from Eastbourne and Brighton several times an hour during the day.

Although there is ample car parking at Gayles, with the environment in mind we ask that you please encourage your group to car-share or to use public transport wherever possible.

No, we only ever have one retreat happening at any time, so you are able manage your retreat as you wish without fear of interruptions or queues.

Yes, there is a guest network that covers the Dining/Social area, Teachers’ Accommodation and some of the garden. However, Gayles is some distance from the nearest exchange and the signal is not always reliable, particularly if several people are using it simultaneously.

We value everyone who comes to Gayles equally and so no, teachers are offered the same facilities and food as their students.

Although we do not prohibit it, we are mindful of people’s safety and of the integrity of the retreats, so we ask that you talk with us first if you are planning to bring alcohol to Gayles.

Yes, we do not share details about you, or your retreat, unless there is an overriding welfare or legal reason to do so and you can find our Privacy Policy in full here