UNWIND AND DESTRESS
The perfect setting for relaxation & rehabilitation
Since 2016, Simon and I have taught woodturning and pottery to all ages and abilities from the beautiful garden studios of our home in the pretty village of Upwell. We are keen supporters of and fundraisers for the Mind charity, and the past few years have seen us move more and more into the area of providing rehabilitation and therapy for people of all ages who are suffering with brain trauma, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
We are also increasingly seeing students who are coping with poor mental health (depression, anxiety, PTSD …) often resulting from stressful jobs which take their toll physically & psychologically.
We created our Crafter’s Retreat with relaxation and rehabilitation in mind.
Many of our guests have booked their stay in conjunction with enjoying a Blended Monkey workshop to help with their ongoing therapy. We have regular students who combine their creative therapy workshops with a peaceful stay in the Crafter’s Retreat cabin.
Our students come from all over the country, so it’s beneficial for them to stay in their own private little patch of tranquility – turning their creative therapy/mental wellness workshop into a mental health weekend or week.
Our cosy, comfy cabin has everything they need to revitalise their mind and body. They can soak in the hot tub, enjoy the plush double bed, discover the magic of their private woodlet, and even extend their creativity by using the easel and art supplies provided in the dining room.
We wanted to share our beautiful, peaceful location to help those who are struggling with their mental health (depression, anxiety, PTSD …), ongoing brain trauma, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia – so we crafted a private, quiet space that facilitates rest, rehabilitation and rejuvenation.
GUEST REVIEWS
Susan & Paul - September 2023
"Thank you for the beautiful cabin. It made our stay wonderful having the 2 Crafts in 1 Day was a great addition to the stay. You are both warm and welcoming and the stay was peaceful."
Vicky & Matthew - April 2023
"A wonderful stay in this hidden gem - thank you so much Louise & Simon. Recommend the pottery workshop! Little touches - and the spa - help to relax & recharge."
Tony & Kim - July 2023
“Cracking place, cracking hosts, cracking surroundings.
We did the 2-in-1-day pottery & woodturning … if you haven’t booked, do it. What a lovely day & 2 new crafts to boot, both very good tutors in their respective crafts, loved it all.
The hot tub is a little gem, perfect for unwinding with a glass of wine ...
Visited “Worzels” for lunch. Lovely setting, nice food for lunch and lovely farm shop for eats in the evening.
After our crafting day we went to the Moorings for dinner. Lovely food, really nice actually, but lacked ambience – maybe due to midweek visit.
The best food recommendation was NAXOS in Downham Market. Absolutely delicious! Give this a go – beautiful fresh food from the med and the expresso martini was superb!!
Thank you Louise & Simon for a relaxing few days xx”
Jacqueline & Mark - June 2023
"We had a lovely break at the Crafter‘s Retreat, surrounding areas and especially the 1-2-1 woodturning for my husband & 1-2-1 pottery for me with Blended Monkey. A very special break & anniversary.”
Colin & Carol - April 2023
“A surprise birthday present for Colin, which didn’t disappoint. Everything was perfect from start to finish.
Colin came away with some wonderful pieces of woodturning.
We will be back. Don’t change a thing!”
Pippa & Alex - April 2023
“We had such a lovely stay! The cabin is just gorgeous and the woodturning and pottery classes were great! We will definitely be back! Xxx”
Richard & Helen - October 2022
“We have had a lovely week, so relaxing, which is just what we needed. We will treasure our bowls & honey dippers we made in your woodturning class. We can see how people can get sucked into it as a hobby! We’ll tell our friends about this place. Thank you.”
Sandra & Kevin - November/December 2022
The cabin is fully equipped, cosy and comfortable. The hot tub is amazing even in December.The Welcome Book is very informative, full of information about the local area and great knowledge about the beaches that are within reach, and nearby shops, pubs and restaurants.Our woodturning class with Simon was great fun and we both came away with a little memento to treasure.Arbuckles is great for a meal out, about 7 miles away but well worth the trip. We both had steak which was cooked to perfection!Thank you, Louise & Simon. We have had a wonderful anniversary week at your retreat. You have both managed to create the idyllic retreat for couples and the extra touches like the welcome basket and Christmas tee made us feel very welcome indeed.”
"I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed my woodturning workshop with you last month. It took me a while to pluck up the courage to book the session as I often find new experiences difficult to cope with. Having a 1-2-1 session with you Simon really took the fear out of the whole situation as I didn’t have to worry about a group of strangers. As you know from our chat at lunchtime, my Asperger’s means that I struggle grasping some of the social skills needed within a group.
I wanted to thank you again for having the patience and for taking the time to understand my requirements. I feel I really got to grips with the spindle turning, but I need a little more practice where the bowls are concerned 😊.
I also wanted to thank you both so very much for allowing me to stay in your wonderful cabin! I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve avoided booking an event or a workshop because I can’t find a quiet self-contained let in the vicinity where I can check in without having to go to a reception desk or deal with strangers. I can’t handle hotels. There are just too many people and too many unknown possible situations. Being able to park privately and then let myself in to your retreat took the anxiety out of the situation. I love to read and so having that wonderful covered decking area meant it didn’t matter what the weather did, I could still have my own space in the fresh air. What can I say? I hope you’ll be able to let me stay there when I return for my next woodturning session.
I’ll be in touch soon. I have some annual leave booked and I’d like to arrange something regularly with you if possible as I found the whole experience to be very relaxing.
Yours thankfully. Paul."
Paul - Lincolnshire - January 2022
(has Asperger's)
“I stayed at the Crafter’s Retreat in October 2021. Discovering this lovely place couldn’t have come at a better time for me.
It was a year after my mother’s death (she passed away at the end of September 2020) and I was feeling incredibly overwhelmed and depressed. It was affecting all aspects of my life, my relationships, and my work. I found it difficult to concentrate on even the smallest of tasks.
I felt very safe as a solo female during my stay in the cabin. There was no hassle from strangers, and I didn’t have to put on a brave face around others. The setting induces peace and calm. Having such a beautiful space to myself was just the tonic I needed to grieve and start the healing process.
I’m looking to return to the Crafter’s Retreat later in the year. I’m so pleased I’ve found this little sanctuary.
I would recommend the cabin to anyone who needs to find some head space and unwind for whatever the reason.”