A dreamy weekend at The Dreaming

If you haven’t watched “Charlotte Church’s Dream Build” on Amazon Prime yet, add it to your watchlist. It’s addictive telly at its best, following the singer’s journey as she plunges her life savings into renovating Laura Ashley’s former country home in Powys, Rhydoldog, and transforming the unloved house into a dreamy healing retreat. 

It’s a project of such mammoth proportions that it almost beggars belief. It’s not just the run-down house that needs work; it’s the many acres of ancient woodland and gardens. Despite the epic proportions of the master plan and many spanners in the metaphorical works, her vision for the finished product is unwavering throughout. 

Inspired by her healing journey, she aims to turn Rhydoldog into a wellness retreat that incorporates a connection with nature, switching off from the hustle and bustle of modern life, ceremony and community. As with any big building project, there are unexpected snags and delays, trees felled by a storm, and the whole thing runs alarmingly over budget. Still, she persists. 

Just watching the project swallow up Charlotte’s savings is stressful, and by the end, you’re willing her and her lovely team of builders and gardeners to win. No spoilers, but against all the odds and obstacles, they succeed, and the retreat—aptly named The Dreaming—is now open to the public. 

Recently, I had the privilege of spending a weekend at The Dreaming with my best friend Nyree. We live hundreds of miles apart and have three children, three jobs, and an MA art therapy course to complete between us. 

Predictably, then, we both arrived at the retreat, completely worn out. Nyree had been struggling with a persistent chesty cough, and I was frazzled following a by-election campaign and weeks of working long hours. If I’m honest, I was sceptical about being able to switch off and relax in just 72 hours. But what followed was a truly transformative experience for us both. 

There were nine of us on the retreat, all female, and many travelling solo. We started the weekend with an opening circle, where we all set our intentions. Mine was modest: to switch off and rest. 

After introductions, we enjoyed a delicious vegan feast cooked by talented on-site chef Zac before settling for the night. I could bang on about the food forever. Every single meal was healthy, nutritious and full of flavour. You could taste the love and attention to detail in every mouthful. 

Another element that deserves its own paragraph is the beds. I have never experienced more comfort than the beds we found in our room, called The Dawn, in honour of the stunning views of the sun coming up over the valley. It felt like sinking into clouds or a plateful of marshmallows. 

I slept so peacefully that I’m still hankering for that bed. In fact, I slumbered so soundly that I managed to sleep through my alarm and miss the next morning’s celestial blessings ceremony – a silent disco at dawn. When I finally roused, I stepped onto the balcony to see my fellow Dreamers in brightly coloured Lycra and headphones throwing shapes in complete silence in the muted morning sun. It was a scene of such life-affirming joy that I was rooted to the spot, just drinking in the disco divas at one with nature. 

Luckily, there were many more ‘offerings’ (The Dreaming’s name for their menu of optional activities) on the schedule that weekend, so I didn’t feel too much FOMO. They included forest bathing, hiking, nature crafting, cold water therapy, sound baths, stretching and guided meditation. Mornings and evenings were reserved for communal gatherings, with Dreamers sharing stories by the glow of a crackling fire. 

There were so many highlights. Top of my list was scrambling to the top of the steep woodland with the help of ropes (which felt like a proper Krypton Factor round), arriving sweaty and out of breath at a stunning waterfall shower. Stripping down to our bathers, we stood underneath the cascading falls on a purpose-built platform for the most refreshing, freezing-cold water therapy you can imagine. Then there were the stars. The night sky was a sight to behold, thanks to the lack of light pollution – like a midnight blue blanket studded with sparkling diamonds. Not many things take my breath away these days, but as I stood next to my oldest friend, drinking in this truly celestial blessing, I felt utterly overawed.

That feeling of overwhelm kept popping up. While exploring the ancient woodland, emotions I’m still struggling to name overcame me. Before I knew it, tears were rolling down my face. I think it was partly joy, the realisation of how exhausted I’ve been lately, and partly gratitude to have this time with an extraordinary person in such a special place. 

Ethereally serene retreat leader Kerry explained at the beginning of the retreat that time becomes like an accordion at The Dreaming, both stretching and contracting; by the end of the weekend, I understood exactly what she meant. With no phone signal or WiFi (a real selling point), we were cocooned from the outside world’s demands, and time seemed to slow right down. And yet, it was all over far too quickly. 

As we toasted marshmallows on an open fire on the last night, I was struck by what a special thing Charlotte has created with The Dreaming. It’s a real labour of love and must be experienced to be believed. I drove home feeling well-fed, thoroughly rested, and completely soul-nourished. I also made lovely new friends while reconnecting with my oldest one. Not bad for 72 hours out of the rat race, huh?

For more information on The Dreaming, check out www.thedreaming.co.uk.