The UK’s Best Meditation, Yoga & Wellness Retreats 2024
By Olivia Emily
11 months ago
Learn from mavens of mindfulness in these havens for headspace
Housel Bay
Overdue some time out, or looking to start the New Year right? Luckily, 2024’s wellness retreats are coming in thick and fast, and you don’t have to travel across the world to enjoy them – there are plenty of staycation opportunities for uninterrupted zen. From luxury farmhouse getaways to walking weekends, these are the best meditation retreats and wellness escapes right here in the UK.
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UK’s Best Meditation & Wellness Retreats 2024
Glass House Retreat, Essex
After years of visiting retreats, passionate advocate for healthy living Joy Jarvis noticed many were pushed for space, and decided it was time to create something new. Enter Glass House Retreat, a purpose-built spa, detox and weight-loss centre set in the heart of the luscious Essex countryside. Packages range from two to seven days long, all offering spa and gym access, plant-based cuisine and various different wellness treatments. A typical day here involves a morning walk, two fitness classes and a raw food lunch, followed by a cookery demonstration from Head Chef Miguel Gouveia. Afternoons, meanwhile, are spent exploring the retreat’s spa facilities – which include a salt block sauna, cryotherapy chamber and heated pool – and enjoying relaxing treatments. Less than an hour’s drive from London, it’s perfectly located for city dwellers looking to escape from the city and invest in a little R&R.
Details: Dates throughout the year at Glass House Retreat (Harrow Rd, Bulphan, Orsett, Upminster RM14 3BP).
Rudding Park, Harrogate
Pick your meditation hot spot from the UK’s very first Rooftop Spa Garden or Rudding Park’s designated Mind and Sense Zones. The spa aims to re-capture Harrogate’s spa town heritage by drawing natural waters from the grounds of Rudding Park. The Roof Top Spa and Garden has also been designed (by horticulturalist Matthew Wilson) to capture and reflect the beauty of its natural surroundings. The new Woodland Glade – a secluded area in the gardens – allows guests to experience treatments whilst connecting with nature, inspired by the Japanese tradition of forest bathing. Sounds like the perfect spot for some soul-searching (followed by steam room-lounging), to us.
Details: Ongoing at Rudding Park (Rudding Ln, Follifoot, Harrogate HG3 1JH).
Horwood House Hotel, Milton Keynes
Mental Health UK reports that one in five Brits don’t get enough sleep, so Horwood House is partnering with Aromatherapy Experts to launch their new ‘Deep Relax Day and Stay package’. With full access to the spa, a delicious two-course lunch, and a 60-minute Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Body Treatment, this package is ideal for wellness warriors looking for a great night’s sleep.
Details: From £135 per person at Horwood House Hotel (Mursley Rd, Little Horwood, Milton Keynes MK17 0PH). horwoodhouse.co.uk
Merlin Hanbury-TenisonDirty Weekend at Cabilla, Cornwall
If you are looking to slow down and restore your vitality amid ancient and undisturbed nature, this retreat is for you. Head to Cabilla, where you can get absolutely filthy, eco style. Roll up your sleeves and take part in some restoration activities as part of our temperate rainforest expansion project, experience guided rainforest walks to learn about soil health and species reintroduction, plus meet the resident beavers, Sigourney and Jean-Claude. And when you’re finished getting dirty, discover the calming bliss of a sound bath, yoga class and our Woodland Sauna to help you relax. You’ll also receive nourishing meals cooked by a guest chefs, and spend evenings around the fire drinking Pentire cocktails, while listening to live music.
Details: Cabilla Cornwall (Bodmin Moor PL30 4DW) runs its Dirty Weekend retreats throughout the year. See the full line up of upcoming dates on the website.
Three Mile Beach, Cornwall
Did you know that the NHS now prescribes surfing to help improve confidence, resilience and self-esteem? Off to Cornwall we go for Three Mile Beach’s three-night Cold Water Therapy Programme, which reinvigorates and restores through surfing lessons, coasteering and Wim Hof Method workshops with Soul Sweats, championing the power of water and breathwork alongside hot and cold therapy, yoga, sound healing and meditation. Set among golden sands backed by dunes, it’s an idyllic setting for a chilly swim.
BOOK: Ongoing at Three Mile Beach (Gwithian Towans, Gwithian, Hayle TR27 5GE). Prices start from £475 per person in the low season.
Breathe Bend Believe Yoga Retreat, West Sussex
Ranging from mini retreats that can be done between school drop and pick-up to annual weekend retreats, these mini yoga breaks extend the peace that an energetic yoga practice can bring you and help you to carry it through the day and take it away with you. Connect with likeminded people in Briony’s beautiful home and enjoy a bitesize chunk of rest and relaxation.
Read our full review of the Breathe, Bend, Believe retreat here
Details: Retreats take place throughout the year in Albourne (Squirrels, The St, Albourne BN6 9DJ). Prices start from £69.
Sharpham House, Devon
Located on the banks of the River Dart, Sharpham House’s walking retreats will take you on long, meditative walks around the beautiful Devon countryside. A more active trip, the retreat involves daily seven to eight mile walks, many of which are very hilly, so organisers specify you’ll need good fitness levels. With breathtaking scenery and periods of silence, these walks help develop appreciation and respect for the natural world, and encourage guests to explore their creativity. There are also guided meditations and relaxation sessions throughout the retreat, and you’ll be treated to delicious vegetarian food, all sourced locally and sustainably.
Details: Retreats take place throughout the year at Sharpham House (Totnes TQ9 7UT). Prices start from £460 for four nights.
Gaia House, Devon
If you’re looking to reduce the noise in your mind, Gaia House is your best bet. One of the largest meditation centers in Europe, it offers silent meditation retreats in the Buddhist tradition, but all faiths are welcome. Set in the peaceful South Devon countryside, retreats range in length from two to seven nights, with different names such as Pathways to Happiness and The Heart of Wisdom and Kindness. Though guests are asked to refrain from engaging in all forms of verbal and written communication throughout the retreat, you can speak with the teachers when appropriate. During your stay you can enjoy picturesque strolls around the grounds, and vegan/vegetarian meals throughout.
Details: Gaia House (W Ogwell Barton, West Ogwell, Newton Abbot TQ12 6EW) hosts retreats throughout the year. Check out the schedule here. gaiahouse.co.uk
Sunsetbay Retreats, North Wales
Sunsetbay Retreats hosts lovely wellness retreats throughout the year, themed around the seasons: The Summer Glow, Last Rays of Summer, Autumn Equinox and Nourishing Winter Yoga. Located in pretty Tywyn with accommodation in a converted chapel, guests will be surrounded by beaches, waterfalls, lakes and mountains. There will also be a range of holistic treatments, yoga, activities, and a massage included, too.
Details: Sunsetbay Retreats (1871 Neptune Rd, Tywyn LL36 9HA) runs retreats throughout the year.
Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire
Flitting up north for another stunning Relais & Châteaux property, Glenapp Castle invites guests to experience a natural detox this winter in a secluded castle with their Woodland Wellness Package. Embark on long leisurely walks through the Glen, relax beside roaring log fires, and pursue some of the 70+ unique activities available, from wild swimming to cookery lessons, forest bathing to yoga. Expertly curated menus showcase the very best of local and seasonal produce, and nourish the mind, body and soul. At night, drift off blanketed in the scent of Connock London’s Kukui Oil.
Details: Glenapp Castle (Ballantrae, Girvan KA26 0NZ)’s Woodland Wellness package is available on selected dates until the 31st May 2024 and is priced from £290 per person per night.
Chewtown Glen, Hampshire
The first UK Relais & Châteaux property, Chewton Glen, is home to a world-renowned spa, with two brand new treatments and experiences to make the most of in 2024. Available only in the afternoon and evening, ‘Sleep Soundly’ is delivered in partnership with OTO CBD, and resets circadian rhythms with mandarin and ylang-ylang scents, high-CBD massages, and Himalayan salt stones for relaxation. Expand the relaxation with the ‘Suite Dreams’ overnight package, featuring a 90-minute treatment and an in-room OTO Sleep Kit featuring CBD Sleep Drops and Sleep Soundly Bath & Body Oil. Or opt for ‘[Meno]pause & Restore’, a spa day tailored for all stages of menopause, beginning with a nourishing breakfast and a luxurious 90-minute body ritual designed to release emotional burdens and promote skin and tissue health.
Details: The Sleep Soundly treatment starts from £135. The overnight ‘Suite Dreams’ package starts from £485 per night. The [Meno]pause & Restore Spa Day starts from £270 per person. Both are available exclusively at Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa (Christchurch Rd, New Milton BH25 6QS).
The Bothy by Wildsmith at Heckfield Place, Hampshire
Heckfield Place’s The Bothy by Wildsmith has expanded its restorative experiences for 2024, with four-day ‘Reconnect’ programmes and bespoke designed ‘Paths’, all facilitating an intuitive, spiritual and emotional growth journey. Thoughtfully guided by The Bothy’s Wellbeing Curator, Master Practitioners and team of intuitive therapists, these transformative wellbeing programmes encourage guests to embrace slow time and realign with nature’s pace while discovering the healing power of the great outdoors. Expect holistic healing experiences and dynamically planned therapies including naturopathy, osteopathy, nature therapy, massage, myofascial release and more. But the journey really begins one week before arrival, when guests undergo a deep one-to-one assessment of mind and body, carefully led by The Bothy resident Psychologist, Amy Steadman, to determine each individual’s personal state of being.
Details: The Bothy by Wildsmith (Heckfield Place, Heckfield, Hook RG27 0LD) welcomes house guests for a four-day Reconnect programme with rates starting from £3,900 based on single occupancy, including a three-night stay from Sunday to Wednesday, all meals and refreshments, full access to the Bothy by Wildsmith and all treatments and therapies included in the Reconnect programme. Paths are created bespoke to suit individual needs and timeframes with rates subject to programming and length of stay; The Bothy recommends a 5-night minimum stay.
Olivia (centre) braving the cold at Harlyn Bay. © Sophie BolesworthGround & Grow, Cornwall
Need to get back to nature? This retreat, created by THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay in collaboration with Cabilla Cornwall, is the perfect answer, carefully crafted to help guests slow down, reconnect with nature, and find some time just for you. You’ll stay in the unique Cornish bolthole that is THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay, a cosy and characterful restaurant with rooms, just a stone’s throw from a beautifully sandy beach and a ten-minute drive from the town of Padstow. It may be winter, but guests can expect a rejuvenating ocean experience with cold water immersion on the retreat’s final morning, followed by a much-needed thaw in a beachside sauna. By the time that final release rolls around, you’ll feel totally reconnected with nature thanks to lovely strolls around THE PIG’s grassy grounds (perhaps including a peep around the Kitchen Garden), deep inhalations of the blustery sea air, and dining on THE PIG’s famed 25 Mile Menu which sources all ingredients from within 25 miles of the hotel – and that’s just on arrival. Over to Bodmin Moor’s Cabilla Cornwall, a mystical wellness centre where you will tour the ancient temperate rainforest, all the while mesmerised by the ardent words of Merlin, Cabilla’s charismatic Founder. Walk barefoot, if you like, and pause for a moment beside the babbling freshwater stream, all before taking nature by the root and planting your own oak tree as part of Cabilla’s Thousand Year Project. Then it’s to the elegant converted barn to gather up all of that natural connection and draw it into the body, guided through a gentle movement glass by another enchanting voice, Pippa, atop thick, comforting mats and accompanied by magical live cello music.
Read our full review of the Ground & Grow retreat here
Details: There are two upcoming retreats: 19–21 January 2024 with guest speaker Lucy Jones; and 7–10 March 2024 with guest speaker Emma Lucy Knowles. Prices start from £865pp for double occupancy or £1,250pp for single occupancy for the two-night retreat in January. March’s three-night retreat starts from £1,125pp for double occupancy and £1,695pp for single occupancy. This includes accommodation at THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay, all meals, talks, tours, meditation, swimming and sauna. Potting Shed treatments are offered to retreaters with a 20 percent discount.
42 Acres, Somerset
Conceived in 2015 by siblings Lara and Seth Tabatznik – inspired by powerful personal retreats and workshops in their own lives – 42 Acres is a haven of personal, social and environmental change in the heart of Somerset. Both are strong advocates that outer change in the world begins with the self, and they invite guests to their stunning biodynamic farm retreat to connect with their wellbeing, other people, and the nature surrounding them. A number of experiences are available throughout 2024, from self-guided retreats exploring the power of the soil, to an immersive three-day retreat exploring radical love with Satish Kumar. Or just visit for a private stay, sequestered in one of the extraordinary accommodations, and immersing yourself in the oasis of calm at your fingertips at your own pace.
Details: 42 Acres (Holt Road, Witham Friary, Frome BA11 5HL) has retreats and stays running throughout the year. See all of the retreats available here.
Housel Bay, Cornwall
Perched on a clifftop on the Lizard Peninsula, this 23-room, family-run hotel is right on the frontier between the rugged Cornish coastline and the Celtic Sea. Dating back to 1894, it is Great Britain’s southernmost hotel and the views of its namesake Housel Bay are unparalleled. Three on-site food and drink spots source all of their produce locally and sustainably, with menus truly embracing the seasons. And, with a garden gate opening right onto the South West Coast Path, it makes for a perfect retreat whatever the season, and whatever the purpose. Take deep inhalations of the wild sea air, trek through Lizard Peninsula’s surrounding rugged nature, and lose yourself in the isolated location, free from everyday stresses (including, occasionally, phone signal).
But if you’re seeking a specific retreat, try the new-for-2024 two-night Blue Mind Retreat. Research into the ‘Blue Mind Theory’ suggests water can make us happier, more connected, and improve our health and wellbeing – and Housel Bay, with the help of accredited Blue Health coach Charlotte Lodey, will draw on this for the ultimate wellness retreat. Think informative workshops, invigorating cold water swims, mindful walks and nourishing meals.
Details: The year’s first retreat will take place from 15–17 March 2024 at Housel Bay (Housel Bay Rd, Lizard, Helston TR12 7PG). Prices start from £442 for single occupancy to include a two night stay with Cornish breakfast, tasting menu experience at our signature restaurant Fallowfields, and all workshops and Blue Mind experiences. Be quick – there are only 10 spaces available. Click here to contact the team at Housel Bay to secure your spot.
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