Retreats
Elmley’s 3,300 acre expanse of wilderness is the perfect setting for retreats. With the awe-inspiring Victorian Barn, thoughtful accommodation, wholesome food and a warm welcome, Elmley offers a special space for groups to gather.
Retreats at Elmley
Hidden away on an island off the Kentish coast with spectacular landscapes, soul-stirring skies and abundant wildlife, Elmley National Nature Reserve is an inspirational place to visit just one hour and a world away from London.
As the UK’s only independently owned National Nature Reserve, sensitive farming and wildlife management are at the heart of Elmley. Elmley is an internationally important site for conservation and is home to a spectacular array of wildlife.
Elmley has a restorative effect on those who visit. It is a special place to go to soothe the soul, find balance, order and perspective; a place where we are able to reconnect with ourselves and emerge feeling lighter, more positive and reinvigorated. It’s a place to stop and breathe.
With the awe-inspiring Victorian Barn, thoughtful accommodation, wholesome food and a warm welcome, Elmley offers a special space for groups to gather.
- For information on attending an retreat at Elmley please visit or contact us on 07930 847520.
- If you are interested in holding a retreat at Elmley, please contact Georgina or Eleanor, we'd be delighted to help
events@elmleynaturereserve.co.uk or georgina@elmleynaturereserve.co.uk
07930 847520 or 07582 414585
Spaces
Elmley’s 3,300 acre expanse of wilderness is the perfect setting for retreats. Guests are welcome to explore the Reserve throughout their stay.
The gardens and farm offer many spaces for outdoor sessions.
Swale Studio This newly opened studio offers a large yoga and activity space has wooden floors, calming white washed walls and huge windows filling two sides giving huge nature views across to the Swale River. It is a special and calming space. It sits next to the Treatment room and above are the Swale Rooms - bedrooms for facilitators or overspill rooms for your guests.
Kinghill Barn & The Linhay: The traditional Kentish Barn is an incredibly inspiring space, with warm rustic wooden beams, twinkling fairy lights and a huge window overlooking the marsh. It is framed by a grass courtyard with an additional open barn, The Linhay. A large space, with loos, tables and chairs, it is recommended for larger groups or varied activities. Please note the beauty of the barn lies in its rustic character, there is a space heater, but it is not suitable for winter retreats.
Elmley Cottage is the retreat hub. A relaxed space, created for slow, nurturing days. Wooden floors and white walls ensure calm throughout, whilst huge windows allow the huge skies and call of birds to take centre stage. The ground floor is fully open to create a special space with room for 12 yoga mats or other creative workshops.
Accommodation
As with everything we do at Elmley, accommodation options can be bespoke to your group, purpose and budget. Our minimum retreat number is 5 and maximum is 30.
Every bed at Elmley has been thoughtfully designed and presented, is beautiful in its own right and offers the completely unique opportunity to spend the night at a National Nature Reserve, waking up to wilderness.
All accommodation has high quality bedding, fluffy towels, luxury natural bathroom products by Bramley and stunning views.
Elmley Cottage: The main retreat space is centred around Elmley Cottage – The wooden floors and white walls ensure calm throughout, whilst huge windows allow the huge skies and call of birds to take centre stage. The open ground floor encompasses a multipurpose activity/yoga space, with a living and eating area. The central gas fire provides a warm heart to the space.
Bell Tents: For retreats from June to September we encourage nature loving groups to offer the beautiful, traditional bell tents. The bell tents are situated in a private spot just a short distance from the cottage. This is camping, but in comfort with incredible views.
Shepherd’s Huts: The six en-suite shepherd’s huts are all carefully designed and offer a more private experience. All have secluded locations and private fire pits.
Swale Rooms: Comfortable and light rooms above Swale studio offering separate spaces for facilitators or additional rooms for guests.
Food
Full event catering is provided. Everything is lovingly made in our kitchen on the farm. Food is locally sourced, and menus are seasonal. Menus are normally plant based, and will always be nourishing, beautiful and delicious. All menus can be tailored to you and all dietary needs can be catered for. For those that wish to immerse in nature for the day packed lunches are available.
Treatments
Treatments are available throughout in the treatment room, with our resident therapist Roz. Roz is a reiki master and specialises and holistic treatments.
Upcoming Retreats
Downtime Friday 13 to Sunday 15th March
A thoughtfully designed weekend
Downtime is a weekend retreat.
The goal of the weekend is to provide guests with a rare chance to spend quality time far removed from surface distractions, tube stations, stress and city strife.
An opportunity to relax, as well as a place to find insipiration, clarity, stillness, reflection and contemplation.
To help things along, we’ve created an opt-in programme of events and a few simple rules (like turn off your phone).
You’ll be in complete control of your time here. Want to sleep in? No worries. Want to skip yoga? Fine. Want to do everything? Go for it. Spend time with like minded-people or take yourself off to a quiet corner.
There’s nothing particularly special about the weekend. No tricks, no hacks, no one trying to sell you on anything. Just all stuff you know you should do more of; being in nature, stretching, breathing deeper, eating better quality food, spending more time away from your screens and more time being present.
More information and booking here.
CLEANSE. BALANCE. FLOW with Down to Flow Escapes - 27th - 29th March 2020
Down to Flow Escapes are hosting CLEANSE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE …
‘Cleanse. Balance. Flow’ retreat is our complete body, mind and energy detox. By targeting all three areas we want you to be cleansed in order to create balance. When our body is in balance, physically, mentally and energetically we slip naturally into our ‘state of flow’. This flow-state allows our minds to expand, our thoughts to become clearer and our mood to be elevated, leaving us with a sense of new found energy and focus.
Our aim is for you to leave fully reenergised!
Mind - We will be using mindful movement in the form of yoga, meditation and walks around the land that surround us. By tuning out of life, we can tune into how our body and mind truly feels.
Body - Juices will be provided to help cleanse our digestive system. When we take a break from eating our body goes into a state of ‘repair’. With less pressure on our digestion our immune system is able to take full control. To further help this healing and cleansing process of the body we will be providing massages to help sooth tense and stressed muscles.
Energy - Energy blockages within the body can cause mood swings, a feeling of unease or not being yourself. Through forms of reiki and meditation we will help bring the metronome of life back to rhythm.
The unadulterated UK countryside offers us the perfect home for this retreat. With a little luxury in the form of luxury shepherd hut’s and renovated farm buildings, we will be in the middle of a tidal island off the coast of Kent. With wildlife all around us, crashing waves on the near by beaches and fields to stroll through, there’s no better place to fully switch off and bring balance back to the body.
What to expect…
2 nights in a beautiful renovated farm buildings or private luxury shepherd hut, both over looking the Nature Reserve
Twice daily yoga, including yoga nidra, yin yoga and restorative yoga
Reiki energy healing session
Nourishing full body massage
Cold water therapy
2 day juice cleanse
1 welcome dinner to kick off the retreat
Daily guided meditation and exercises on breathing techniques
Guided walks through the nature reserve
Group exercises on how to detach yourself from stresses in modern life
One surprise treat
For more information on this beautiful retreat and booking please see here
Spring Week Personal Development Retreat - 24th April to 1st May
Join Sue Allsworth of Authentic Smile for a spring week personal development retreat. Immerse yourself with nature and journey of self-discovery and delve deeper into your authentic mind, body and soul to connect with your Authentic Smile.
MAINTAIN YOUR AUTHENTIC SMILE Explore your authentic mind and gain clarity in your life and of your authentic truth. What we choose to think and believe has everything to do with how we live life. The fears, doubt and negativity that we hold onto can quietly undermine our sense of well-being.
Reconnect with what truly matters to you in this life-changing AUTHENTIC MIND week retreat. It is a journey through which you discover and extraordinary personal freedom in becoming more mindful of your thoughts and how they affect your life experiences.
In a way that can seem quite magical, you will find yourself letting go of old anxieties and negative beliefs, re-emerging into the here-and-now flow of your Authentic Life with more confidence of claiming your authentic truth. More info and booking here
Autumn Week Retreat - Friday 2nd to Friday 9th October - AUTHENTIC SOUL
Authentic Soul Wellbeing
Immerse yourself with nature and journey of self-discovery and delve even deeper into your authentic, mind, body and soul to connect with your Authentic Smile.
MAINTAIN YOUR AUTHENTIC SMILE
Explore your authentic soul on this personal development week which encourages you to befriend all parts of who you are and what makes you so beautiful. Open yourself up to live from a place of Trust, Faith and Surrender within.
Reconnect with your inner child and your AUTHENTIC SOUL in a way that will forever transform how you view your own existence and your relationship with the Universe. It is a journey through which you will discover more clarity of who YOU are as a human and as a soul.
On this very personal journey you will find yourself letting go of old hurts and pains by replacing them with the willingness to love and to forgive. Re-emerge by the end of the week into the present with a stronger connection to your AUTHENTIC SMILE.
The environment for this personal development journey is the perfect place of solitude surrounded by the beautiful marshland landscape of Sheerness in Kent.
Whether you are new to these ideas or well on your journey, delve deeper into what makes YOU who you are.
Delve deeper into your inner knowing that is part of your soul and gain new clarity and confidence within.
Escape to Elmley Nature Reserve to relax, rejuvenate and go on a personal journey within.
Past retreats:
More details are below...
Friday 31st May to Sunday 2nd June 2019: THE NATURE SESSIONS - TO THE SEA
An immersive retreat in wild surroundings. The Nature Sessions offer a gentle programme of workshops that will nourish and feed your soul, leaving you feeling revived and refreshed. Find out more...
Friday 14th to Sunday 16th June 2019: YOGA WEEKEND RETREAT Join Theresa and Pernilla for a summer weekend retreat to immerse yourself in yoga and nature. Find out more...
