Easter is family time. Stay & play in fields of chocolate eggs

Easter weekend is always a favourite at fforest because family fun is at the heart of the celebrations. When Spring is in the air, the farm slowly starts to warm up after the colder Winter months, and as our Easter families descend upon the farm to kick start our season, we feel that warmth spread. 

This year we had some very talented kids and grownups paint their masterpiece eggs, to then watch them roll down the hill towards the Bwthyn pub. fforest breakfasts kept them fuelled for the day ahead, with a special egg & soldiers breakfast on Easter Sunday. Our guests tend to keep themselves busy over the weekend; adventuring on woodland & coastal walks, wild swimming in the Teifi river followed by hot saunas on site, traditional egg hunts, egg painting, egg rolling, s'more toasting & movie nights for kids (& big kids!). Wholesome suppers make the perfect end to blissful days.

The fforest Easter elves have every aspect of your stay covered. A typical weekend itinerary looks a bit like this:

Friday 30th March
Check in from 4 with Tea & cakes
Bwthyn open at 6
Pizza making/eating from 7
 
Saturday 31st March
Breakfast 8-10
Sauna open 9-12/3-6
Fire pit made and Bwthyn open from 5
Evening meal at 6
Firepit & Marshmallow s'mores at 7
 
Sunday 1st April
Boiled egg & soldiers 8-10
Egg painting & rolling 10-11
A walk with cracking Easter egg hunt 11-12
Simple sandwich lunch 1:30
Easter chicken supper 6
Movie on at 7
 
Monday 2nd April
Breakfast 8-10
Check out from 11

Book your all-inclusive Easter 2018 weekend by choosing your preferred accommodation below.
Click the 30th of March as your arrival date and our system will show prices for the whole weekend stay.



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Share, support & inspire: Creative retreats for women

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fforest has had the pleasure of hosting a number of creative retreats for women, all of which have a few traits in common: to share, support & inspire one another. 

Syjunta, Feb 2017

We held our first Syjunta weekend in the February of this year; a creative retreat centred upon women coming together to learn, interact and relax. Syjunta focussed on the beautiful and intricate skill of hand embroidery. Our guests enjoyed woodland walks to gather inspiration from nature to implement in their embroidery designs, all from the comfort of a soft sofa. The retreat was held at Ty fforest where our ladies all stayed under one roof in the most luxurious of fforest accommodation. We wanted to ensure that the Syjunta retreat left our guests feeling inspired and rejuvenated; having practiced new skills and spent time chatting and unwinding with like-minded individuals.

Glow, March 2018

Following Syjunta, we wanted to expand upon the element of engagement in our creative retreats. The idea that women can share their skills and learn from one another in an environment that's calm and comforting. In the Spring of 2018, we will be hosting the Glow retreat at Ty fforest. Open to a maximum of 20 people, its an event that has creativity and exchange at its core. The goal is to inspire, support and help one another, and maybe learn something new. To take the opportunity to get stuck into a project, or simply use our spaces to relax into a comfy chair, listen to the birds and read a book. A couple of workshops have been arranged but there is no fixed schedule or end product, we offer Glow as a space to be filled with your own imagination.

Learn more about Glow 2018 here

Sisterhood, June 2017

"We provide biannual retreats, small intimate workshops and suppers for women, with the main aim to embrace a slower, more gentler pace of life through creativity, connection, fireside chats and sisterly support." Founded by Lou Archell, the Sisterhood camp has been hosted at fforest for the past two years. The 'sisters' are guided through workshops and talks, fed wholesome meals and encouraged to relax with the idea to nourish creativity, connect with nature and with each other.

Lifestyle blogger, Abi Dare, was invited by Visit Wales to join the Sisterhood at this year's retreat. Her blog piece documenting her experience at Sisterhood and at fforest is a wonderful read, and is accompanied by some beautiful photography, some of which photos have been used in the gallery below. To read her blog piece and to see more photos visit Abi's website here.

We have learnt that intimate retreats like these are full of the small things that can make a big difference. We are developing exciting plans for our future Glowcamps; with inspiration, creativity, wellness and a big dollop of pampering at their heart. Further details soon.

Book your place at Glow 2018 here



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SNAP: An international photography festival

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"I firmly believe that the magic of fforest made SNAP and that's why we didn't hesitate in deciding to come back the following year."

-Laura Babb, founder of SNAP

Wedding & lifestyle photography festival, SNAP, was held at fforest in April this year (and on another two occasions before that). Founded by Laura Babb, the professional wedding photographer has created a photography retreat consisting of talks, workshops, live shoots and business sessions, all hosted within the 200 acre boundary of fforest farm.

These guys seemed to make use of every space fforest farm has to offer: Under the giant hat tipi, in our newly renovated project barn, outside & under canopies, inside the lodge barn, in our cosy little pub (where many a visitor prefers to dwell), in fields, under water, in the sauna... everywhere! It's a delight to see so many talented creatives using fforest spaces to inspire work & progress.

Photos by Wojtek

Read more about SNAP 2017 and see more images here



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The Pizzatipi transformed for a Summer wedding

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The wild wedding of Emilie Lovaine and Jon James took place in June this year. An unusual but beautiful use of space at the Pizzatipi.

The Lovaine-James wedding is one that the fforest elves remember mostly for its many twinkling fairy lights and abundance of florals & greenery adorning tables, framing seating plans, even embellishing the wedding cake.

Pizzatipi seemed to be a perfect location for the couple's wedding vision; with the tipi, newly refurbished pizza shack and old stone buildings forming beautiful backdrops to wedding photos. With their alfresco, makeshift (first)dance floor and choosing to host the wedding feast under canvas, the wild & rustic L-J wedding made use of the whole courtyard whilst somehow keeping it cosy and intimate. The decoration and setting magically blur the line between indoor & outdoor; a concept we know (quite well) and love (a lot) at fforest.

Photos by Darina Stoda



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A holiday for the senses: Gather can stimulate the body & mind

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We keep the mind active & the body moving at Gather. We can slow it down too, if that's what the body needs.
We want to feel something, learn something, create something, and we trust our bodies to help us do it...

Gather enlists the help of all the senses to encourage creativity, to practice patience, to uncover hidden talents, to enjoy simple pleasures. Browse our Gather 2017 galleries below to see what you could feel, taste, smell, see and hear at Gather.

TOUCH

Use your hands.

Combine a fresh muffin mixture and bake it over fire, mould a clay pot and decorate with fresh flowers, feel the grooves of letterpress letters in all shapes and sizes, sculpt magical woodland creatures out of clay, carve a spoon from a single block of wood, make pencils out of branches, weave willow into bold structures, sketch a wild bird, tie ropes around sticks to secure dens, mix water colours and inks, feel a refreshing pang of cold whilst wild swimming...

Taste

Feed your appetite.

Sample fresh breads, cheeses & chutneys, relish every wholesome breakfast, lunch & dinner, forage for wild herbs & edible plants, ponder over enticing choices from the fforest cafe, be surprised by natural wines, Welsh spirits & unusual beers, dribble over lavishly decorated cakes, try something you never have before...

Smell

Breathe it all in.

Savour the heavenly scent of freshly baked bread, notice subtle notes in natural wines, challenge your senses to beer tasting, deliciously unusual cheeses melt over burning embers to be lathered onto flatbreads, fforest flowers beam from their beds; the sweet peas and sunflowers firm favourites, your lungs are filled with fresh, clean, Welsh air, and there's plenty to go around...

SEE

Widen your horizons.

Watch clever people as they teach you clever things, meet & greet your inner artist, identify new talents and nurture them, create an idea and watch it grow; follow its journey from conception to completion, notice your imagination running wild, approach bold decisions with conviction, look at what you've created, surprise yourself, find magic in the woods, spot a bird in a tree, a stag in the field, a cat on your seat...

HEAR

Gather to listen.

Share stories over blazing fires, attend workshops and practice new recipes, concepts, techniques, laugh with old & new friends, birds chirp & chime in the trees, sausages sizzle over hot coals, crackling fires warm to the core, awaken to still & silent mornings, hear everything; hear nothing, but that dog will bark if you don't throw the stick...

What do you want from Gather?

Find out...



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Barley Saturday: A unique event in the Cardigan calendar

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We all love Barley Saturday. An event that attracts all the locals as well as others not so local; from kids to grown-ups to dogs, its an occasion for everyone. 

Since 1871, it has been held on the last Saturday in April to celebrate the end of the crop sowing season, with barley being the last cereal to be sown after the wheat and oats, this year it falls on the 29th of April. Originally it was a day when farmers from the surrounding area came to town to hire workers, it also gave stallion owners the opportunity to display their beautiful Welsh Cobs, advertising the stallions for stud. These days it is the horses that are at the centre of attention and it's not just cobs on show, there are horses and ponies of all shapes and sizes, from Shetlands to Shires. 

After the 11.30am judging of various horse competitions, the crowds gather to watch the horses parade around Cardigan and down the High Street at around 2pm. The best bit is when the horses are trotting out in all their glory, manes flowing and nostrils flaring, quite a spectacle. Horses are followed by vintage cars, motorbikes, tractors, carriages, milk floats and gypsy wagons, plus plenty of flat caps! It’s a special day of the year in Cardigan town.

We like to celebrate Barley Saturday in our own way, so on the night of the 29th of April, we will be hosting our famous "Dawns Barlys" (Barley Dance) at the fforest Pizzatipi. We'll have live bands & DJs, woodfired pizza & beer, good & bad dancing. Its the (un)official Barley Saturday party - don't miss it! For more information have a look at our Facebook event.



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