THE GLOBAL RETREAT COMPANY
Sandon Manor
HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND
Enchanting, historic manor house and grounds for yoga, wellbeing, cookery, nature and team retreats
IN A NUTSHELL
Nestled in 1,200 acres of open sky Hertfordshire countryside, and just an hour from central London, Sandon Manor is a peaceful, inspirational and magical Queen Anne house and grounds for yoga, Pilates, relaxation, nature and wellbeing retreats. Offering characterful Manor House and Dovecote accommodation and working spaces, ancient oak barns for activities and a rewilded estate, Sandon Manor is also ideal for art, cookery and baking, dance, floral design and company team getaways.
VENUE DETAILS
INDOOR RETREAT SPACES
The Manor has interlinking reception rooms with large tables that are perfect for gatherings and breakout groups. Co-working, brainstorming, cooking and feasting, inspiring lectures and motivational talks will all find ample room at the Manor. A stone's throw away, in a completely refurbished barn complex, the centrepiece is the large Medieval Barn, built from English oak in 1266, with exposed oak beams, a polished concrete floor, mood lighting and underfloor heating and is ideal when a bigger space is needed for activities. Also part of the barn complex is the spacious, modern East Wing Hall, complete with a polished concrete floor, underfloor heating and white panelling, for those who prefer a more contemporary, light and airy space. The Haybarn can be used for lectures, team-building activities, yoga, Pilates and creative workshops while the dance studio has a sprung floor, air conditioning, a PA system, a lighting rig with mood lighting and a mirror ball, and accommodates dancing, singing, yoga and Pilates.
OUTDOOR RETREAT SPACES
The manor house is surrounded by private large gardens with lawns, a formal garden, mature trees, meadows and ancient woodland, all set in Sandon Manor's rewilded estate. You can walk or run the footpaths that criss cross the grounds, explore the local wildlife and play croquet on the lawn (a croquet set is provided).
SLEEPING
The Manor House can accommodate up to 16 people in seven spacious and individually designed super king and twin rooms - two of the superking rooms have an extra single bed each. All Manor rooms marry old-fashioned charm with a contemporary light and airy design. One room is en-suite - the others have shared bathrooms and shower rooms. The Dovecote - complete with the original dove nesting holes - is a stylishly refurbished bolthole for two, with a superking bed on a mezzanine floor and a bathroom with bath and shower.
LIVING
The Manor House has a stylish, homely atmosphere, with artwork displayed throughout and collections of books for you to enjoy. The entrance hall has a wood-burning stove and there is a private bar in the drawing room. As well as two spacious sitting rooms, there's a dining room with a large table that seats up to 18 and you can also relax in the kitchen which has an island for informal gathering. Play ping pong in the boot room and table football and video games in the games room.
RETREAT ACTIVITIES
As well as facilities for yoga and Pilates, the venue can help arrange massages, cookery classes and wine-tasting. There's even a therapeutic harp player for relaxation. Go for a peaceful, sensory walk in the countryside or try some forest bathing in the peaceful woodland.
SUSTENANCE
Dine at the large oval table in the dining room or in the kitchen where the oval table seats 12. You can also eat in the garden, where there are two tables, along with a barbecue area. The Manor uses several private chefs with different styles and can cater for all budgets and tastes. Options range from fine dining and hearty stews to shared dishes, dainty finger food and salads, for example.
SUSTAINABILITY
Sandon Manor works with Natural England, The Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission to make a space for nature and has created a more natural landscape of wood pasture where a mixture of scrub, woodland and pasture will flourish. The nature reserves and rewilded countryside are ideal homes for birds, bees, butterflies and insects.
RAIL
Royston
LOCATION
Sandon Manor
Sandon Bury Farm
Sandon
Buntingford
UK
AIRPORT
Stansted and Luton