The Coach House Wellbeing Retreat
Guest Reviews and Media
Conde Nast Traveller, July / August issue 2022
Kristel, September 2022
A unique retreat, a step outside and within, the Coach House Retreat gave me the rest and restoration I was looking for. The Yin Yoga sessions with Olivia were intentional, deepening and grounding. The atmosphere welcoming and personal. The food – breakfast hamper and homemade deliveries by Penny – were heartwarming. The garden and surrounding nature beautiful. An added delight was spending a day at the Abergavenny Food Festival. The Ayurvedic massage was a full and complete experience. There is something very special about going to the right place at the right time and encountering the right people. I left rejuvenated, inspired and grateful.
Kejal and Matt, August 2022
We've had a wonderful, relaxing (and very hot) weekend at Olivia's retreat. The Yoga and Meditation has allowed Matt and I to continue to deepen our practice, outside of our home. The recommendations from wellbeing to food have been brilliant.Thanks to Conde Nast Traveller for the write up! ("Hold the Pose", July / August issue)
Melissa, August 2022
My stay at The Coach House has been everything that I needed it to be. Divinity through Yin Yoga, with Olivia, massages with Lucy and walking in nature with Sue. Just perfect!
Lisa, July 2022
A little slice of heaven! Olivia has pulled out all the stops and my time has been relaxing, fun and healing. Wonderful massages x 2 and late wild swimming with Angela Jones. Thank you!
Caroline July, 2022
A fantastic and beautiful place to have a lovely, relaxing break. Loved the yoga and wild swimming - what a treat! Thank you Olivia
Michelle and Evan July 2022
We had such a wonderful and relaxing break in your beautiful Coach House. The Yoga and Mindfulness did us the world of good. We wish we could stay forever!
Siobhan, June 2022
A delightful, quiet and peaceful setting for some much needed rest. Wonderful mixture of yoga, both Yin and Yang, just what my body and mind needed. Thanks so much Olivia for your lovely teaching style and for creating a nurturing place.
Denise and Caz, May 2022
Our stay at The Coach House has been just what we needed for a short break. The Yin Yoga was pitched just right for our needs. Thank you Olivia and John.
Louise and Rachel, May 2022
Thank you so much. We managed to squeeze in loads of things over the weekend. Loved the yoga, my favourite thing!
Julia, April 2022
Thank you for a lovely restorative stay. The introduction to Yin Yoga and Meditation was fabulous. The Coach House is beautiful, quiet and restful.
Hannah April 2022
What a magical and relaxing experience it has been this week. This was a last minute, much needed getaway, for myself, and it has not disappointed. Wild swimming, Raglan Castle, Healing Shiatsu and the most amazing massage with Lucy, along with some much needed sleep and amazing yoga everyday. I feel like my old self again. Thank you so much Olivia.
Martin March 2022
Thank you for a lovely, calm and relaxing retreat. Yoga and beautiful walks....all so good.
Sian and Snow February 2022
Thank you so much. Had an incredible couple of nights and yoga was fabulous. See you again, for longer hopefully!
Graham and Sally January 2022
Thank you again for a lovely break. Yoga was very relaxing and Graham took to it very easily. I will be taking home "the shapes" that help us remain stretched. Walks were lovely and Monmouth is such a great town. Again we will be back. Evangeline is a wonderful masseuse. We both felt very relaxed and calmed afterwards.
Sue. Rown
At the end of a two night stay at The Coach House, I feel relaxed and restored. A made to measure retreat with all of the ingredients requested by me and delivered to the highest standard. First class accommodation and host, thoughtful and empathetic yoga sessions, so relevant and therapeutic, wonderful food and a shiatsu massage that brought my body back into an alignment. A wonderful country walk, recommended by the host. All in all, truly wonderful.
Helen W.
Our stay at the Coach House was so relaxing and we really didn’t want to leave. The Coach House is very pretty with a lovely garden space where we ate breakfast and supper each day. Olivia is so lovely and we felt very informed about walks, wild swimming and many other activities that are available to enjoy throughout your stay. Whether you choose to simply arrive at the Coach House and stay put or head out each day to explore the countryside, you will feel relaxed and revitalised when you head home. It really did feel like a home away from home, but without the stresses over being at home! Thank you Olivia for such a warm welcome and we hope to come back again one day.
Victoria S.
Two friends desperate to escape the claustrophobia of lockdown, we booked The Coach House which exceeded expectations in every way. Olivia has created the most charming and nurturing space. Everything felt tailored to us – from Lucy’s wonderful massage to Olivia’s yin yoga (she is an outstanding teacher). Katherine’s delicious food arrived daily as if brought by fairies (do ask for the fish pie – possibly the best we have ever tasted…). We found a beautiful spot for early morning river swimming, just 15 mins drive away. We ran out of time to explore the many wonderful walks, but another reason to return.
Vivienne Withey
My few days at The Coach House were a wonderful escape from the chaos that 2020 has bought. I loved the Yoga sessions with Olivia and have left feeling excited about continuing my practice at home. The house is beautiful. I had a beautiful time exploring the National Trust walks nearby and I’m already looking in my calendar to see when I can return.
Helen and Peter Stutchfield
We just loved every aspect of our stay: the historic building, stylish interior, incredibly comfy bed and bed linen, powerful shower, and lovely toiletries. The breakfast hamper was delicious especially the 2 breads -and that amazing tranquil view from our garden was fabulous, watching the sun go down each night and the house martins swirling around. A real antidote to all those months of lockdown! We enjoyed our days out in the beautiful countryside very much and especially the amazing Grendon Court garden that you so kindly arranged for us to see.
Helen and Catrin
We have loved our first yoga sessions and looking forward to returning. The Coach House is clean and stunning. Breakfast hamper is brilliant. Thank you so much Olivia.
Daniel and Elise
We spent a beautiful, relaxing week in the The Coach House, feeling very sad to leave. It was the perfect spot to relax and have some peaceful time out of the city, with a delicious breakfast hamper, spectacular countryside, amazing walks (thanks for the recommendations!) and a mix of spontaneous Welsh weather. Loved every minute and can’t wait to come back again soon. Thanks Olivia and John!
Deborah
Thank you so much for a wonderfully relaxing solo retreat. The Coach House is perfect and well equipped. The Yin Yoga and Mindfulness sessions were thoughtfully tailored, taking into account my physical limitations, and the recommended National Trust walks were stunning in such glorious weather. Hope to be back again!
Anna Pasternak
The perfect restorative retreat for a wiped out, menopausal mid lifer! Heaven in every sense. The perfect re:boot and re:charge. Thank you – until next time…
Sian Keane
Thank you so much for a gorgeous solo retreat at the coach house. From the point of booking you went out of your way to accommodate me at short notice; I knew it was going to be a personal experience. Learning about yin yoga and walking in the woodlands was a gorgeous way to take time out from my busy life and appreciate the present. The coach house itself is so cosy and tastefully decorated, I hope to visit again very soon! Sian Keane – Wandsworth, London, September 8th-10th 2019
The Regeneration Guide, from Country and Town House Magazine, A Life in Balance.
Machela Sathekga
What an incredible stay at The Coach House Retreat. I have loved and treasured every moment of my solo retreat. I have been revived, rejuvenated and healed in this beautiful space. Olivia’s one to one yoga classes cannot be recommended enough. She customised the poses to meet me where I was – thank you. Thank you for the generous and delicious breakfast hamper – a real cherry on top of an already fantastic getaway. Words fail me – it just has to be experienced. I loved it! Thank you Olivia
Claire J
We spent two days and three nights at The Coach House in late July. I needed the retreat aspect but also wanted to introduce my husband and 14 year old daughter to yoga and mindfulness. An opportunity to show them what I enjoy and to allow them to experience yoga and forest bathing first hand. Daily morning yoga in the expert hands of Olivia set the tone for the day. A balance of strength and stretching, tailored to our abilities, with an undertone of mindfulness. The forest bathing afternoon with Corina was calming and restorative. Thumbs up from my teenager and husband who had been sceptical beforehand but thoroughly enjoyed it. The Coach House is a great find. Lovely rooms, comfortable beds, clean and well equipped with lovely breakfast hamper. The outside seating catches the evening sun with relaxing views. Add in a burning log or two in the chimnea and you are totally sorted. Olivia is a super host and available for advice on local trips, local restaurants and of course expert in yoga. This is now firmly on my getaway list, for those moments in life when you need to escape and find some “me” time. Thank you Olivia
Alex
My mum and I booked this as a chance for us both to have some time out together. In spite of being very rural, the Coach House was very easy to find and we were welcomed by fresh cut garden flowers and a generous breakfast hamper. The house is beautifully and thoughtfully decorated with everything you could need for a few days of relaxation. The house is completely private but close enough to Olivia and John’s home to feel really safe and to know that there’s someone on hand if you ever need anything. We booked two yoga sessions with Olivia which were perfectly tailored to suit both my mum who had not really practised yoga before and me who practices regularly. This part of the world is also stunning with walking, hiking and lovely towns to potter in all nearby. We both left feeling not only relaxed but completely recharged and I would not hesitate to recommend the Coach House to anyone looking for some time away from the business of life. We will definitely be back.
Kate
I visited The Coach House for three days in May as a solo traveller in need of some time out and creative space to get on with some writing. As a mum of three I also really just needed to not be needed for a few days and The Coach House was absolutely perfect. I had everything I needed to eat well (delicious breakfast hampers), sleep well (wonderful bed and crisp linens), stretch and rest. Being just across the drive from the wonderful Olivia and John I also felt safe and knew they were there if I needed anything which it turns out I didn’t really. The weather was awful but that didn’t matter as it allowed me not to feel guilty for being a bit lazy and curling up with my book. The Coach House all mod cons so I was able to make sure it stayed cozy and the view from the shower was wonderful! I wouldn’t hesitate to return. I arrived exhausted and am leaving energised which was exactly the point. Thanks to Olivia.
Natalie E
My friend and I are teachers and booked the Coach House with a view to relax and wind down in the countryside for the weekend. The Coach House itself is beautifully decorated, extremely stylish whilst remaining very homely. Olivia, our host came to greet us and was so lovely! Very warm and friendly, showed us around and had stocked the most amazing breakfast hamper for us with delicious organic and high quality foods. On the Saturday morning we had a 2:1 private yoga session with Olivia – I am 20 weeks pregnant and this was tailored to myself and my friend beautifully. We were each challenged appropriately. Olivia is clearly hugely experienced and there was a lovely spiritual element to the practice – which we were hoping for. (I am sure Olivia could adapt to anyone who isn’t keen on this side of things.) Storm Hannah came to visit so instead of a walk we hunkered down and read books, napped and watched a movie. Jo Song, a local massage therapist came to the Coach House and we both received an hour long massage. Jo was also very experienced and very lovely – a fantastic massage for us both. The kitchen is well equipped and there is a lovely selection of teas. The bedrooms are beautiful and very comfy! Lovely beds and soft bed linen. The bathrooms are again very tasteful, clean and stocked with lovely Korres toiletries. The house was spotless. Olivia even recommended some pregnancy books/cds to me – which was thoughtful and kind. Our privacy was respected at all times. The property has its own garden with seating area and chiminea, which when we return – we will use in better weather! The surrounding area is stunning, we can highly recommend the Clytha Trail walk and a visit to Raglan Castle and cafe for a mooch and a cup of tea and cake. I hope to explore this more on our return. All in all a wonderful break and I will definitely be back! Thank you x
