Retreat Hire
Retreat Venue Hire - for Retreat Leaders
Wern-y-Cwm offers luxurious, (mostly) en-suite accommodation with 16 double bedrooms (18 doubles by 2026). We also offer the camping field for overflow accommodation in bells tents, or camper vans. Whilst the vast majority of guests must stay on site, we are happy to accept a few day-visitors from time to time.
The Great Barn is perfect as a yoga Shala (at 2,400 square feet), or could be used for creative workshops or cooking demos. In clear weather the Farmhouse lawn, with unrivalled views, or the grass amphitheatre or Dairy back lawn offer great alternatives.
Found up a mile long, dead-end lane in 30 acres of private farmland with organically run gardens, woodland and wildflower meadows, your guests will be free to explore. When not busy with planned activities they might enjoy the facilities including natural swimming pool, hot and cold bucket outdoor showers, sauna, terraces with fire pits, den in the dark wood (great for woodland bathing), hammocks, orchard, vegetable & herb gardens, trampoline, swings, croquet, table tennis and hot tub.
Walking and hiking opportunities are in abundance. From the farm you can reach the top of the Skirrid with views over 7 counties, or head into the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), along Offa's Dyke to White Castle or down to our great local pub. A mid-summer solstice dawn walk to see the sun rise or a yoga session on the lawn with far-reaching views will be activities to remember.
The gardens and grounds offer multiple options for group lessons or 1-2-1 training. Seek out our 18th century water trough garden and seating. Find the den in the dark wood or follow the wildflower walk down to the bottom field where you will meet our oldest oak, an awesome 480 year old beauty.
The endless countryside and total emersion in nature, with varied and rare flora and fauna, will inspire creativity, boost morale and help to guests to relax.
Are you the Retreat Planner?
Are you looking for a new venue for your retreats or thinking about planning one for your tribe? With our experience in organising fully managed stays we can help, advising on the following areas:
The accommodation layout & suitability for your team/guests/friends
Catering options from self-catering to fully catered by our team
On-site activities such as gong baths, nature immersion & foraging walks
Wild swimming in our pool, contrast therapy with sauna & bucket shower
Massages & holistic therapies in our treatment room
Use of the sauna & hot tubs
Off-site activities from cultural trips to walks or sporting adventures
Transfers from airports & stations & all guest preparation instructions
Pricing advice & being flexible on deposits in line with your bookings
We can be as hands-on as you need or as hands-off as you prefer. Let us know your ideas, or call us for a chat and advice.
Creative, Theatre, Painting & Cookery Retreat Holidays
Abergavenny and the local area has long been an inspiration for amazing chefs; think Franco Taruschio or Shaun Hill, incredible artists from Turner to Augustus John and so many talented writers drawn to Hay Festival. This area of outstanding natural beauty offers the perfect location to inspire. Whether you wish to hold a mixed creative retreat, crafting, cooking, theatre, writing or painting workshops, we are here to help you plan and execute your retreat.
With lots of local contacts in farming and food production, you could source the ingredients for your stay with minimum food miles. Furthermore, the veg garden and orchard allow you to eat off the land or forage for delicious ingredients in the hedgerows or fields, potentially after a lesson if needed.
Wern-y-Cwm is just 10 minutes from Abergavenny, and offers the ideal location for visiting the Food Festival or farmers' market.
Preferential Rates for NGO’s & Charities
Our ethos at Wonderful Escapes is to embrace the circular economy and support those working to improve the outlook for people and the planet. We welcome and are happy to offer discounted rates to NGO’s, charities, environmental and human rights organisations who may need a safe space to hold their conferences, team trips or symposiums.
One event we have hosted was for 28 delegates from 22 countries. We helped with complex travel, arranged catering with dietary requirements from Halal to Vegan and booked local activities. On another occasion we hosted a small charity which offers support and tuition to gifted young musicians. Orchestras and choirs may enjoy using the Great Barn or grass Amphitheatre to practice and perform in. If you wish to arrange a charity stay, please ask.
Film & Photo Shoot Location Hire
We offer film and photography crews a range of options from using the barn for lifestyle fashion and homes photo shoots, to using the mountainous farmland for movies. We are open to discussing requirements with location managers and can accommodate the crew and support staff.
The Skirrid Mountain is easy to reach, albeit permits would need to be acquired from the National Trust if you wished to shoot in the National Park and not on the farm. We are also happy to introduce location scouts to our friends and family in the area, if you can’t find everything you need here, which will permit you to stay here and shoot in the locality at castles, river, working farms, stately homes, etc.
Thinking of organising a Retreat at Wern-y-Cwm?
You are welcome to arrange a self-managed retreat, but if you would like a tailored service we are here to support you . With years of experience in planning and running events we have the knowledge to provide the right vibe, locally sourced food, therapies and help arrange your travel as required. With our fully managed service you are free to concentrate on the teaching.
If your planned event is in the spring or early summer, the 10 acres of wildflower meadows are at their best. Maybe your perfect holiday is in high summer watching your friends or colleagues have long lazy conversations in the shaded areas of our stunning grounds, with games and croquet on the lawn.
Or with open fires and underfloor heating, you might be looking for a cosy and romantic autumn or winter stay with berry coloured table dressing and candles, enjoying roasting marshmallows and chestnuts over roaring fire pits.
Whatever your plans, Wern-y-Cwm offers you the open spaces for as much outdoor activity as you wish for, but with the added peace of mind that whatever the weather, the Great Barn is as big as a huge marquee and you can feed your entire residential group at one table.
Event/Retreat Host Reviews
Womens Business Club - Business Retreat -
September 2024
Taking the time and the space away from the usual working week was very special. Being able to share that time with a diverse group of women who are up to big things and are curious with their learning and mindsets was fabulous. Being hosted in a beautiful part of the world, with locally sourced and foraged ingredients not only fed the soul, but made my heart glow. More please!
Antonia Dixey, Participation People
Thank you Laura for opening this incredible haven. The food, the surroundings, the rooms, the decor and the offerings were just wonderful! It's such a special place. Thank you for the love and care you have put into it to make it the amazing place it is today for retreats like the one I attended.
Amy Anzel, Hollywood Browzer Beauty
Vicki
– Yoga Retreat –
May 2022
The retreat went really well and everyone loved the property and location – how could they not, it's amazing! They enjoyed climbing the Skirrid and the wild swimming went down really well with most. Everyone went a bit outside their comfort zones which is great for that sense of achievement feeling.
The property was a good fit for our use and we managed to eat outside quite a bit and use the lawn for yoga too which was fab. The hot tub was a huge hit obviously. How fantastic to have this brand new for our retreat. We look forward to booking again.
The Symposium on Strength and Solidarity 2022
Our Not-for-profit organization decided to hold one of our annual meetings at Wonderful Escapes! From the outset, Laura and Emily were incredibly helpful, enthusiastic and did everything to ensure we had a comfortable stay, delicious food and a successful meeting!
The location is serene and they have put a lot of love and warm touches into the property. They took us on a breathtaking hike nearby and this was one of the highlights of our stay. We would definitely book another stay at Wonderful Escapes without hesitation and are grateful for their warm welcome, hospitality and for going out of their way to meet our needs !
