THROUGHOUT DECEMBER 2024
Festive Events
This December, we invite you to experience the seasonal magic of The Dreaming with a series of exciting events and day gatherings.
This year, our Festive Events are split across two weeks! Week 1 (6th - 15th Dec) is crafted for adults & teenagers (13+), and Week 2 (19th - 22nd Dec) is crafted for families and littl’uns (U12). Scroll below for the events!
Optional Overnight Stay upgrades will be available on any Festive Events booked on Saturday 7th, 14th and 21st December. We’ll email you after your purchase with a private booking link.
Should you want to make the most of the day, discounted Day Passes are available for all days!
Week 1 Events | Adults/Teenagers
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Dreaming of a Green Christmas | £35pp
6th-8th & 13th-15th December | 11:30am - 2pm
Get crafty this Christmas with our first green gifting workshop! Join us in our Potting Shed for an afternoon of festive crafting, where you’ll create beautiful, sustainable gifts from natural materials gathered from our ancient woodland. This hands-on workshop is designed to reconnect us to the simple joys of giving, nature, and the true spirit of the season.
Arrive at 11:30am for a warm welcome, mince pies, and mulled drinks. Then settle in to craft unique, earth-friendly Christmas gifts, complete with festive music and cheer.
Your ticket includes :
- Green gifting workshop held in our beautiful Potting Shed
- Access to a variety of natural materials & decorations
- Mince Pies, Mulled Drinks & Festive Music
- Leave with at least one beautiful gift
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Festive High Tea with House & Land Tour | £45pp
6th-8th & 13th-15th December | 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Step into the enchantment of The Dreaming this Christmas season with our popular Festive High Tea experience.
Begin your journey at 2:30pm with a warm welcome and enjoy a guided tour through our beautifully restored house and grounds, discovering the rich history and natural beauty that make The Dreaming so unique. Connect with the land as you wander through our gardens and woodland, and immerse yourself in the quiet magic of this sacred place.
At 4:00pm, we gather for a festive high tea - a seasonally curated array of delicious treats and warming teas, all prepared with love and inspired by the spirit of winter.
Your ticket includes :
- A tour of our beautifully restored home, once the home of Laura Ashley
- Soak up the magic of the mystical lands, forests and waterfalls in our land walk
- Enjoy a deliciously festive High Tea spread
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Festive Blessings Silent Disco | £25pp
6th-8th & 13th-15th December | 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Set your spirit free at our Festive Blessings Silent Disco in the Court of the Holly King at The Dreaming. Surrounded by twinkling trees in our ancient woodland, this enchanting event invites you to dance under the stars around a warming fire pit, with mulled festive drinks, marshmallow toasting, and great tunes to dance to!Lose yourself in the music, connect with the season’s magic, and celebrate Christmas, Dreaming-style. We can’t wait to share this unforgettable evening with you.
Your ticket includes :
- Silent disco experience set in our enchanting ancient woodland
- Festive mulled drinks (non-alcoholic)
- Marshmallow toasting
Please note this activity is set in the woodland area, which involves walking across a bridge and upstairs.
Week 2 Events | Families/Little’uns
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Dreaming of a Green Christmas | £35pp
19th-22nd December | 12pm - 2:30pm
Get crafty this Christmas with our first green gifting workshop! Join us in our Potting Shed for an afternoon of festive crafting, where you’ll create beautiful, sustainable gifts from natural materials gathered from our ancient woodland. This hands-on workshop is designed to reconnect us to the simple joys of giving, nature, and the true spirit of the season.
Arrive at 12pm for a warm welcome, mince pies, and mulled drinks. Then settle in to craft unique, earth-friendly Christmas gifts, complete with festive music and cheer.
Your ticket includes :
- Green gifting workshop held in our beautiful Potting Shed
- Access to a variety of natural materials & decorations
- Mince Pies, Mulled Drinks & Festive Music
- Leave with at least one beautiful gift
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Festive Family Christmas | £35 Adults & £20 Child
19th-22nd December | 3pm - 5pm
Bring the whole family to celebrate a unique, nature-inspired Christmas at The Dreaming Retreat. Create festive crafts together and enjoy a short woodland walk through our magical forests via the cascading waterfalls to meet our Father Christmas. Dressed in velvet robes of Green, he embodies the spirit of the forest and the magic of the season, sharing stories around the fire that honour nature and the beauty of winter.
Experience a Christmas celebration rooted in peace, joy, and connection to the earth. This is a family event where memories are made, inspired by the gentle magic of nature.
Your Experience Includes :
- Hot chocolate and a festive snack in the Potting shed
- Family Nature Crafting
- Short woodland walk in our enchanted forests
- Stories & carols with Father Christmas in the Japanese Tea House
- Toast Marshmallows around the Fire
- Take a photo with Santa and his Elf Helper
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Carols by the Campfire | £15pp
19th-22nd December | 5:30pm - 7pm
Gather around the glowing campfire for a magical evening of carols at The Dreaming Retreat. Sing traditional festive favourites and under the night sky, surrounded by the peaceful beauty of the forest and waterfalls that embrace The Dreaming. Wrap up warm and bring your festive spirit to an enjoyable evening of song and winter wonder!What’s Included:
- Toasted Marshmallows & Hot Chocolate
- Carol Singing around the Campfire
- Song sheets for everyone to follow along (we’ll have these ready!)
“Words can’t describe the energy that this place holds, from the minute you arrive you can feel the magic. We had the most beautiful weekend with the most amazing people, I will cherish the memories for a lifetime.”
- Claire Wright
The Nurturer Guest, 2024
“I knew my time at The Dreaming would be a wonderful break in stunning surroundings but I was not prepared for it to be life changing. You leave The Dreaming wondering, "Was I dreaming?" but thankfully, it's all real.”
- Kiri Pritchard McLean
Comedian, Writer & Former Artist in Residence
OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION
We’re offering Festive Overnight add-ons for those that would like to try a slice of the magic we have at The Dreaming.
Treat yourself or a loved one to an early Christmas gift with our December Saturday overnight stays where you can enjoy a night in one of our luxurious rooms for deep rest, waking to the mystical beauty that surrounds us. You’ll have access to tea and coffee whenever you wish, and start your day with a simple yet nourishing breakfast. Take time for a morning walk through our healing lands before you check out, feeling restored and connected.
Each rooms interior reflect our passion for other cultures. Natural materials and tactile draping create den-like spaces, whilst original floorboards and textured walls give coherence and a cosseting feel to the seven rooms, each with its own distinct name and character.
The essence of connection thrives through our shared rooms. Our distinctive approach assigns beds individually rather than by room, encouraging meaningful interactions with fellow guests.
Embracing shared living is ingrained in The Dreaming’s values, creating an environment where bonds flourish.
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For 2 Individuals Sharing / £300 per person per Saturday night
Inspired by Luna herself, The Moon is designed to honour the lunar goddesses. Using handmade natural materials, it is a purifying and calming space, with soft flowing white fabrics. Luxurious beds with fabric privacy screens, a spacious seating area, and an ensuite with moon-shaped bath overlooking the Moon Garden.
It is south facing, overlooking the Elemental garden, with a breathtaking view of the Nant Caethon Valley.
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For 2 Individuals Sharing
South-facing with a balcony, to take in the breathtaking views of the Elemental garden and the Nant Caethon Valley, The Mystic’s furnishings have been hand-sewn using a collection of decadent Indian saris, drawing attention to the changing tones throughout the day in its spacious seating area, and luxurious beds with fabric privacy screens.
Perhaps the most magical of all, this warm room also has an ensuite with a golden tadelakt shower, surrounded by botanical plants.
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For 2 individuals sharing / £240 per person per Saturday night
The best place to experience the breaking of day, The Dawn is south facing with a balcony to enjoy the view of the Elemental garden and the Nant Caethon Valley.
The handmade soft furnishings were created using natural dyes to reflect the colours of sunrise, bringing a brightness to the room. With luxurious beds and fabric privacy screens, a seating area, rustic pine furniture, and an altar to honour the solar deities, a stay in The Dawn is an energy restoring experience. Its bathroom is across the hall, and has a Moroccan-inspired tangerine tadelakt shower.
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For 2 Individuals Sharing / £300 per person per Saturday night
Inspired by the wonders of mycelium (the network of fungal threads that connects all the plants of the forest together) The Mushroom is designed and crafted using rustic natural materials to achieve an earthy, grounded feel, dark antique wooden furniture and warm neutral tones in its spacious seating area, and luxurious beds with fabric privacy screens.
It is south facing, overlooking the Elemental garden, with a breathtaking view of the Nant Caethon Valley, and includes an ensuite bathroom, with a walk-in shower, and a bath with a view, surrounded by a selection of botanical plants.
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For 3 Individuals Sharing / £200 per person per Saturday night
A stay at The Wanderer is an immersive experience, with natural materials and artefacts from Africa, Peru and Mexico. This is the room for explorers, and has a spacious seating area, and luxurious beds with fabric privacy screens.
The room is south facing, overlooking the Elemental garden, with a breathtaking view of the Nant Caethon Valley, and includes an ensuite bathroom, with a shower and bath, and a window seat to take in the view.
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For 1 Individual or Couples / £320 per person per Saturday night / £550 for a couple
Honouring the design and forest reverence in Japanese culture, Forest Spirits is north facing and overlooks the ancient woodland.
With traditional Japanese tatami flooring, a spacious seating area, and a luxurious king-size bed, the room also has an ensuite bathroom with a black tadelakt shower and a porcelain lotus sink. Immersive Japanese experience for all of the senses, including the scent of traditional Japanese Tatami Mats.
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For 2 Individuals Sharing / £280 per person per Saturday night
North-facing to the deep forests, The Womb is a celebration of womanhood. With soft flowing fabrics, all handmade and dyed using natural ingredients, it has the nourishing, secure feeling of being swaddled. Luxurious beds with fabric privacy screens, a seating area, and a playful ensuite with a pink tadelakt shower.
The Location
Nestled in the heart of the Elan Valley, Wales. Our retreat offers a serene and rejuvenating environment, away from busy work life, whatever the weather.
Set within forty seven glorious acres of ancient land, The Dreaming is a rural wonder which offers true serenity and blissful tranquility. Once a 15th century Cistercian monastery, this fabulous property passed through Georgian and Victorian aristrocratic families to the designer Laura Ashley and her family in the 20th century.
Laura Ashley directed her multinational interior design company from Rhydoldog House and then, in 2020, our founder Charlotte Church, with the help of talented collaborators, reimagined, refurbished and reconfigured it.
