Finding somewhere to sit in Britain is harder than it should be. The major organisations keep their own separate lists, a great many groups meet in village halls with no website at all, and someone new to this has no obvious place to start.
This page covers Buddhist centres, temples, monasteries and meditation groups across Britain, along with what a first visit is actually like and how to work out which tradition you have walked into.
Free to be listed, always
We sell statues and singing bowls. We do not sell listings, nothing here is a paid placement, and there is no requirement to link back. If you run a centre or a group, details for being added are at the bottom.
The traditions, briefly
The differences are real and worth knowing before you choose, because what happens in the room varies considerably.
| Tradition | Where from | What a session tends to involve |
|---|---|---|
| Theravada | Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma | Vipassana and metta practice, often silent, frequently with a talk. Monastic communities are common |
| Zen, Chan, Seon | Japan, China, Korea | Seated silent practice, often facing a wall, with formal timing and minimal instruction during the sit |
| Tibetan, Vajrayana | Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan | Visualisation, mantra and elaborate imagery. Usually more devotional and more structured |
| Triratna | Founded in Britain, 1967 | Draws across traditions. Typically accessible and beginner oriented |
| Secular mindfulness | Clinical, from 1979 | Not Buddhist practice. Eight week courses such as MBSR and MBCT, sometimes available on the NHS |
Which should you start with
Whichever is nearest and running. The distinctions become genuinely interesting later. A group you can actually get to on a Tuesday evening beats a tradition chosen on paper.
The national networks, and how to use them
Start here. Britain has four large Buddhist networks, each maintaining its own current directory of local groups. Between them they cover most of the country, and their lists are updated far more reliably than any page like this one can be.
Triratna Buddhist Community · Around fifty UK centres and groups
Founded in Britain in 1967 and one of the largest Buddhist movements in the country. Centres in most cities and a great many towns, typically accessible for newcomers. Their site holds a current directory.
Kagyu Samye Ling and the Samye Dzong network · Scotland, England and Wales
Tibetan Karma Kagyu. Samye Ling in Dumfriesshire was the first Tibetan Buddhist centre established in the West, founded 1967, with city branches across Britain.
The Buddhist Society · London, national reach
Founded 1924 and one of the oldest Buddhist organisations in Europe. Courses, a library and a journal, not aligned to a single tradition. The best route for finding a group in a smaller town.
New Kadampa Tradition · Centres nationwide
A large network with centres in most major cities, following the Kadampa tradition.
BuddhaNet World Buddhist Directory, UK · National
An independently maintained directory listing hundreds of British groups by region and tradition, including many small groups that appear nowhere else.
Scotland
Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery · Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway
Founded 1967, the first Tibetan Buddhist centre established in the West. Karma Kagyu lineage. Open all year for visiting, with courses, retreats, guest accommodation and a cafe.
Kagyu Samye Dzong Edinburgh · Edinburgh
City branch of Samye Ling. Pujas, guided meditations, drop in sessions and courses. People of all faiths and none are welcome.
Kagyu Samye Dzong Glasgow · Glasgow and Lochwinnoch
City branch of Samye Ling with a regular programme.
Tara Rokpa Edinburgh · Edinburgh
Tibetan Buddhist centre in the Rokpa tradition.
Dundee Buddhist Group · Dundee
Tibetan Kagyu tradition, meeting in the city centre.
Aberdeen Buddhist Group · Aberdeen
Non sectarian Western Buddhism, Triratna affiliated.
Dhanakosa Retreat Centre · Lochearnhead, Perthshire
Triratna retreat centre offering meditation alongside yoga, hillwalking, qigong and creative arts.
Holy Isle · Firth of Clyde, off Arran
Retreat island associated with Samye Ling, with a centre for world peace and health.
Glasgow Buddhist Centre · Glasgow
Triratna centre with classes and courses.
Forth Valley Buddhists · Stirling area
Triratna group.
Edinburgh Chan Group · Peebles and Edinburgh
Western Chan Fellowship, Mahayana tradition.
Wales
Cardiff Kagyu Samye Dzong · Canton, Cardiff
Tibetan Karma Kagyu, a branch of Samye Ling.
Vajraloka Buddhist Retreat Centre · Corwen, Denbighshire
Triratna retreat centre specialising in meditation, for men.
Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre · Powys
Triratna retreat centre for women preparing for ordination.
Cardiff Buddhist Centre · Cardiff
Triratna centre with classes and courses.
Llangollen Buddhist Group · Denbighshire
Triratna group.
West Wales Buddhists · West Wales
Triratna group.
Barry Buddhist Group · Vale of Glamorgan
Triratna group.
Northern Ireland
Black Mountain Zen Centre · Belfast
Zen in the Shunryu Suzuki lineage, associated with San Francisco Zen Center.
Kilcranny House · Coleraine, County Londonderry
Zen practice group associated with Black Mountain Zen Centre.
Northern Ireland is thinly covered here
That is a gap in our knowledge rather than in the country. If you run a group in Northern Ireland, we would particularly like to add you.
The North of England
Manchester Buddhist Centre · Manchester
Triratna centre with a full programme of classes, courses and retreats.
Leeds Buddhist Centre · Leeds
Triratna centre.
Liverpool Buddhist Centre · Liverpool
Triratna centre.
Sheffield Buddhist Centre · Sheffield
Triratna centre.
Newcastle Buddhist Centre · Newcastle upon Tyne
Triratna centre.
York Buddhist Centre · York
Triratna centre.
Blackburn Buddhist Centre · Blackburn, Lancashire
Triratna centre offering classes in Buddhism and meditation.
Yorkshire Kagyu Samye Dzong · Scarborough
Tibetan Karma Kagyu, a branch of Samye Ling.
Chester Buddhist Group · Chester
Triratna group.
Buddhafield North · Northern England
Outdoor camping retreats, all activities held outdoors or under canvas.
The Midlands
Birmingham Buddhist Centre · Birmingham
Triratna centre offering classes, workshops and retreats on Buddhism, meditation, yoga and the arts.
Nottingham Buddhist Centre · Nottingham
Triratna centre with a regular programme.
Adhisthana · Coddington, Herefordshire
Triratna retreat centre and the movement's principal UK study centre.
Leicester Buddhist Centre · Leicester
Triratna group.
Worcester Buddhist Centre · Worcester
Triratna centre.
Shrewsbury Buddhist Centre · Shropshire
Triratna centre.
Taraloka Retreat Centre · Shropshire
Triratna retreat centre for women.
Milton Keynes Buddhist Group · Buckinghamshire
Triratna group.
Tsepagme Centre · Saddleworth, Oldham
New Kadampa Tradition centre.
East of England
Cambridge Buddhist Centre · Cambridge
Triratna centre offering courses in Buddhism, meditation and yoga for all levels.
Bury St Edmunds Triratna Buddhist Community · Suffolk
Meets at the Quaker Meeting House on St Johns Street.
Norwich Buddhist Centre · Norfolk
Triratna centre.
Ipswich Buddhist Centre · Suffolk
Triratna centre.
Colchester Buddhist Centre · Essex
Triratna centre.
Mid Essex Buddhist Centre · Essex
Triratna centre.
Padmaloka Retreat Centre · Norfolk
Triratna retreat centre for men.
Peterborough Buddhist Group · Cambridgeshire
Triratna group.
Kings Lynn Buddhist Group · Norfolk
Triratna group.
Hertford Buddhist Group · Hertfordshire
Triratna group.
Letchworth Buddhist Group · Hertfordshire
Triratna group.
The South West
Bristol Buddhist Centre · Bristol
Triratna centre with a full programme.
Stroud Buddhist Group · Gloucestershire
Triratna group.
Devon Buddhist Group · Devon
Triratna group.
Axminster Buddhist Group · Devon
Triratna group.
Bridport Buddhist Group · Dorset
Triratna group.
Buddhafield · South West England
Camping retreats through the year, including retreats for newcomers, family retreats and month long silent meditation retreats.
Buddhism Now · Totnes, Devon
Published by the Buddhist Publishing Group, one of the few genuinely British Buddhist periodicals.
London and the South East
London Buddhist Centre · Bethnal Green, London
Triratna. Courses, retreats and drop in meditation, and one of the largest urban Buddhist centres in Britain.
Kagyu Samye Dzong London · Bermondsey, London
Tibetan Karma Kagyu, the London branch of Samye Ling, open since 1998.
Jamyang London Buddhist Centre · Kennington, London
Tibetan Buddhist centre in the FPMT tradition.
Buddhapadipa Temple · Wimbledon, London
Thai Theravada temple, among the first Buddhist temples established in Britain.
Brighton Buddhist Centre · Brighton
Triratna centre with regular classes and courses in meditation, Buddhism and yoga.
Rivendell Retreat Centre · East Sussex
Triratna retreat centre.
Oxford Buddhist Centre · Oxford
Triratna centre.
Oxford Buddhist Society · Oxford
Long running society with a regular meeting programme.
Croydon Buddhist Centre · Croydon, London
Triratna centre.
North London Buddhist Centre · London
Triratna centre.
West London Buddhist Centre · London
Triratna centre.
Brixton Buddhist Meditation · London
Triratna group offering meditation and Buddhist teaching.
Southampton Buddhist Group · Hampshire
Triratna group.
East Kent Buddhists · Kent
Triratna group.
West Kent Buddhists · Kent
Triratna group.
East Surrey Buddhists · Surrey
Triratna group.
Hastings Buddhist Group · East Sussex
Triratna group.
Eastbourne Buddhist Group · East Sussex
Triratna group.
Worthing Buddhist Group · West Sussex
Triratna group.
Retreat centres
Residential retreats are a different proposition from a weekly sit, and a good number of people find they get more from one weekend than from six months of intermittent practice.
| Centre | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kagyu Samye Ling | Dumfriesshire | Tibetan Karma Kagyu. Courses and retreats year round, guest accommodation, open to all |
| Amaravati | Hertfordshire | Theravada, Thai forest tradition. Retreats and open days, run entirely on donation |
| Adhisthana | Herefordshire | Triratna study and retreat centre |
| Dhanakosa | Perthshire | Triratna. Meditation alongside yoga, hillwalking, qigong and creative arts |
| Padmaloka | Norfolk | Triratna, for men |
| Taraloka | Shropshire | Triratna, for women |
| Tiratanaloka | Powys | Triratna, for women preparing for ordination |
| Vajraloka | Denbighshire | Triratna, meditation specialism, for men |
| Rivendell | East Sussex | Triratna |
| Holy Isle | Off Arran | Retreat island associated with Samye Ling |
| Buddhafield | South West and North | Outdoor camping retreats under canvas |
Finding a retreat
Going On Retreat lists UK retreat centres with current programmes in one place, which is the practical route rather than checking each centre in turn. Going On Retreat
Publications and media
Buddhism Now · Totnes, Devon
Buddhist Publishing Group. One of the few genuinely British Buddhist periodicals.
Buddha Weekly · International, online
Volunteer run online magazine covering practices, teachings and commentary across traditions.
The Zen Gateway · Online
Zen resources, articles and book reviews.
Finding a group near you
If nothing above is close, four routes that genuinely work.
-
Ask your nearest centre about the wider scene
They usually know the small groups that have no website at all. A great many British meditation groups meet in village halls and community centres and are effectively invisible online. -
Contact The Buddhist Society
It holds contact information for affiliated groups across Britain and is the best single route for smaller towns. -
Try university chaplaincies and multifaith centres
In university towns these commonly host meditation groups open to the public, and they are usually free. -
Look for a local sitting group rather than a centre
A group of six people in a back room counts. It is often better for a beginner than a large centre with a full programme.
What a first visit is actually like
Since this is what stops most people from going at all.
| What people worry about | What actually happens |
|---|---|
| Wearing the wrong thing | Ordinary clothes are fine and nobody dresses up. Loose trousers help if you are sitting on the floor |
| Being asked about beliefs | You will not be. A substantial proportion of attendees are not Buddhist and nobody keeps track |
| Not knowing what to do | Most sessions include instruction rather than assuming knowledge. Say it is your first time and someone will explain |
| Having to sit on the floor | Chairs are normally available and using one is entirely normal rather than a compromise |
| Not knowing what to pay | Frequently donation based, and the amount is genuinely up to you. Turning up without money is acceptable |
| Being committed to something | You are not. Attending once commits you to nothing at all |
| Getting the bowing wrong | Watch what others do, or do nothing. Nobody minds and nobody is looking at you |
| Being the only newcomer | You will not be. Most groups see new faces regularly and several people there will have started this year |
| Not being able to sit still | Nobody can at first. Fidgeting, aching knees and a wandering mind are the normal experience rather than a failure |
| Being asked to chant in a language you do not speak | Some traditions chant, most provide the words phonetically, and nobody minds if you stay quiet |
| Being recruited or pressured | Extremely rare in British Buddhist centres. If it happens, leave, and it tells you about that group rather than the tradition |
| Arriving late | Wait outside until the sit ends rather than walking in. Someone will usually be watching the door |
Etiquette, plainly
Short and genuinely all you need.
Take your shoes off if others have. Arrive a few minutes early rather than during a sit. Phones off rather than silent, since a vibrating phone in a quiet room is worse. If you need to leave partway, do it quietly and nobody will mind. And if a monastic is present, they may have particular conventions around greeting and around food, which someone will explain if you ask.
Getting listed, or removed
Add your centre or group
Send us your name, tradition, where you are, when you meet and a contact route. No charge, no link requirement, no commercial arrangement.
We would particularly like small sitting groups and anything outside London and the South East, which is where this list is thinnest and where people have the hardest time finding anything.
If you are listed and would rather not be, tell us and we will remove you the same week.
Our companion UK mindful living directory covers yoga studios, mindfulness training and slow living writers, and our gong bath and sound bath finder covers sound practitioners.
Questions people ask
Do I have to be Buddhist to attend a Buddhist centre?
No. British Buddhist centres commonly welcome anyone interested, and a substantial proportion of people attending meditation sessions do not identify as Buddhist. Nobody will ask about your beliefs.
What does it cost to attend?
Frequently nothing. Many centres run on dana, meaning the teaching is offered freely and you give what you can. A good number of meditation groups charge nothing at all.
Which Buddhist tradition should I start with?
Whichever is nearest and running. Theravada tends toward silent vipassana practice, Zen toward formal seated practice, Tibetan toward visualisation and mantra. The differences become interesting later.
What should I wear to a meditation session?
Ordinary clothes. Loose trousers help if you will be sitting on the floor, though chairs are normally available and using one is entirely normal.
Is this a paid directory?
No. Nothing on this page is a paid placement and nobody has paid to appear. Listing is free and there is no requirement to link back.
