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NEWS
Music star Charlotte Church creates wellness retreat in former home of Laura Ashley
POSTED 21 Jun 2023 . BY Megan Whitby
The Dreaming has been designed as a nature-focused retreat Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Charlotte Church has opened a wellness retreat at the former home of Laura Ashley – Rhydoldog House – in Wales
Called The Dreaming, the retreats offer an escape from the complexity of modern life and time in nature
Prices start at £450 (US$576, €528) for three nights, including all meals and activities, plus there is one “pay what you can” space on every three-day retreat.
Guests can partake in everything from dreamwork and herbalism to stargazing and mythical storytelling as well as enjoying a waterfall shower and outdoor sleeping den.
Welsh music star, TV personality and activist Charlotte Church has opened a new wellness retreat in the Elan Valley in Powys, Wales.

Called The Dreaming, the new destination is designed to offer an escape from the complexity of modern life; connecting people back to the land, to themselves and to their journey.

Church felt the location was the perfect space to combine the three things she is most passionate about: climate action, wellbeing for all and economic equity.

In a nod to this, prices start at just £450 (US$576, €528) for three nights, including all meals and activities, plus there is a “pay what you can” space on every three-day retreat.

Opened on the grounds of the former home of the late Laura Ashley – called Rhydoldog House – The Dreaming is a seven-guestroom retreat surrounded by waterfalls, forest, rocks and caves.

Programming ranges from short residential retreats with daily wellness activities to longer retreats with specialist practitioners.

Activities include yoga, sound healing, foraging, mythical storytelling, star-gazing and cold water immersion, as well as singing at dawn, den building, sensory portal building and painting.

Guests can also partake in dreamwork, outdoor cinema experiences, herbalism, woodwork, meditation, silent discos and nighttime forest bathing.

Visitors are invited to participate in as many or as few of these offerings as they like. They can enjoy a full three-day schedule or relax in the beautiful surroundings in their own time.

Retreat stays include access to all 47 acres of Rhydoldog House, including the Waterfall Shower, Wood Henge, The Pool of a Hundred Reflections and The Den – which allows for outdoor sleeping to comfortably experience the nocturnal wildlife.

The retreat’s curated gardens are central to the sustainability ethos of The Dreaming and form the backdrop for many of the activities.

For example, The Physic Garden provides medicinal herbs for the apothecary, where guests can make teas, balms, tinctures, soaps and other lotions and potions; while the potting shed is a place for retreaters to mix soils and pot seeds.

Church said: “I have regularly tried to use my platform to campaign for climate action, economic equity and wellbeing for all. Some of that has turned out to be effective and meaningful, but I always felt there was more I could be doing.

“I think that’s why I fell so utterly in love with Rhydoldog House, as it gave me a vision of an integrated healing centre in line with my most deeply held values. The realisation of that vision has completely changed my life and I hope that we can help our guests change their lives too, even if it’s just in small ways.”
The Dreaming is the brainchild of Charlotte Church (pictured) who frequently visits the property and hosts soundbaths Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
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Uniting the world of spa & wellness
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News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
NEWS
Music star Charlotte Church creates wellness retreat in former home of Laura Ashley
POSTED 21 Jun 2023 . BY Megan Whitby
The Dreaming has been designed as a nature-focused retreat Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Charlotte Church has opened a wellness retreat at the former home of Laura Ashley – Rhydoldog House – in Wales
Called The Dreaming, the retreats offer an escape from the complexity of modern life and time in nature
Prices start at £450 (US$576, €528) for three nights, including all meals and activities, plus there is one “pay what you can” space on every three-day retreat.
Guests can partake in everything from dreamwork and herbalism to stargazing and mythical storytelling as well as enjoying a waterfall shower and outdoor sleeping den.
Welsh music star, TV personality and activist Charlotte Church has opened a new wellness retreat in the Elan Valley in Powys, Wales.

Called The Dreaming, the new destination is designed to offer an escape from the complexity of modern life; connecting people back to the land, to themselves and to their journey.

Church felt the location was the perfect space to combine the three things she is most passionate about: climate action, wellbeing for all and economic equity.

In a nod to this, prices start at just £450 (US$576, €528) for three nights, including all meals and activities, plus there is a “pay what you can” space on every three-day retreat.

Opened on the grounds of the former home of the late Laura Ashley – called Rhydoldog House – The Dreaming is a seven-guestroom retreat surrounded by waterfalls, forest, rocks and caves.

Programming ranges from short residential retreats with daily wellness activities to longer retreats with specialist practitioners.

Activities include yoga, sound healing, foraging, mythical storytelling, star-gazing and cold water immersion, as well as singing at dawn, den building, sensory portal building and painting.

Guests can also partake in dreamwork, outdoor cinema experiences, herbalism, woodwork, meditation, silent discos and nighttime forest bathing.

Visitors are invited to participate in as many or as few of these offerings as they like. They can enjoy a full three-day schedule or relax in the beautiful surroundings in their own time.

Retreat stays include access to all 47 acres of Rhydoldog House, including the Waterfall Shower, Wood Henge, The Pool of a Hundred Reflections and The Den – which allows for outdoor sleeping to comfortably experience the nocturnal wildlife.

The retreat’s curated gardens are central to the sustainability ethos of The Dreaming and form the backdrop for many of the activities.

For example, The Physic Garden provides medicinal herbs for the apothecary, where guests can make teas, balms, tinctures, soaps and other lotions and potions; while the potting shed is a place for retreaters to mix soils and pot seeds.

Church said: “I have regularly tried to use my platform to campaign for climate action, economic equity and wellbeing for all. Some of that has turned out to be effective and meaningful, but I always felt there was more I could be doing.

“I think that’s why I fell so utterly in love with Rhydoldog House, as it gave me a vision of an integrated healing centre in line with my most deeply held values. The realisation of that vision has completely changed my life and I hope that we can help our guests change their lives too, even if it’s just in small ways.”
The Dreaming is the brainchild of Charlotte Church (pictured) who frequently visits the property and hosts soundbaths Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
Credit: Elliot Cooper | @cooperexplores
MORE NEWS
Brain plasticity could be improved by manipulating the gut microbiome
Manipulating the gut microbiome could become a powerful tool for preserving brain health and resilience as people age, according to research led by Professor Paola Tognini, a neuroscientist at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy.
Jessica Sloyan establishes UK Academy of Sound and Therapeutic Arts
Jessica Sloyan, a wellness operations and training expert, has established an independent private training academy to provide professional qualifications for practitioners looking to offer immersive wellness experiences.
ISPA releases full 2026 US Spa Industry Study as annual industry revenue rises by US$1bn
The International Spa Association (ISPA) has published its full 2026 US Spa Industry Study, providing further insights into the region’s total US$1 billion (€855 million, £780 million) industry revenue increase from 2024 to 2025.
Hot spring wellness community Ameyalli sells residences and breaks ground on resort and spa
Ameyalli, the 78-acre wellbeing resort and residential community in Midway in Utah, US, has broken ground on phase two of the hot spring development – the Ameyalli Resort and Spa – which is due to open in 2028.
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Embrace the chill: TechnoAlpin's Snowsky revolutionises post-fitness recovery with falling snow
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]

HPO Tech brings design-led hyperbaric systems to the spa floor
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has moved well beyond the clinic and spa operators represent the fastest-growing market for the technology. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers  
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Clinique La Prairie

Clinique La Prairie is a name that has been synonymous with health and longevity for over 90 years, [more...]
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+ More catalogues  

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+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
31 Aug - 02 Sep 2026

SpaTec North America

Pier Sixty Six, Fort Lauderdale, United States
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ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS