Charlotte Church closes Welsh wellness retreat 2026

Key Points

• The Dreaming, the wellness retreat by Welsh singer Charlotte Church, will now shut down permanently after five years.
• Located at Rhydoldog House near Rhayader, Powys—a former residence of fashion designer Laura Ashley, which was bought by Church in 2021—the retreat has announced on Thursday, 13 November 2026 that it will be shutting down permanently due to the reasons already given.
• Since it opened, more than 3,000 people have stayed at the retreat.
• The Dreaming offers nature- and spirituality-based experience including sound healing, forest bathing, and Druid ceremonies.
• The retreat also offered a “pay what you can” package with as little as £1 per night and provided free accommodation for NHS workers.
• The Rhydoldog House can still be booked privately through Host Your Home, but no longer as The Dreaming Retreat.
• Former chef Zac will also be available for private catering.
• The message announcing the shutdown thanks the staff, facilitators, volunteers, artists, makers, gardeners, housekeepers, cooks, and healers.

Wales (Wales Times) November 14, 2026 – Charlotte Church’s wellness retreat, The Dreaming, is to close permanently after five years, ending a project the Welsh singer had described as a response to the pressures of modern life.

The announcement was made in a social-media statement by The Dreaming, which said that what had been intended as a period of “hibernation” had become “the end of our journey”. As reported by ITV News, the retreat had previously said it would pause operations from December 2026 while it reconsidered its future.

The Dreaming, based at Rhydoldog House near Rhayader in Powys, opened after Church bought the former home of fashion designer Laura Ashley in 2021. The property was transformed into a wellness retreat offering guests opportunities to reconnect with nature and spirituality through activities including sound healing, forest bathing and Druid ceremonies.

Why Is The Dreaming Closing?

The decision follows an announcement in October 2026 that The Dreaming would “go into hibernation”. At that stage, the business said it needed to reassess what it should offer in a changing world, but it did not set a date for a possible return.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the October statement cited an “unsustainable decline in bookings” alongside “soaring operational costs”. The business said it had found itself “at the mercy of the economy”, attributing the pressure to cost-of-living challenges and reduced discretionary spending.

The County Times reported that The Dreaming had originally said it would pause its work from December, but confirmed its closure in a social-media post on Thursday evening.

In its final message, titled “One final farewell: An ode to five magical years”, The Dreaming wrote: “After five beautiful years, it is time to say goodbye to The Dreaming.”

The statement continued:

“When we last wrote to you, we shared our plans for The Dreaming to pause, to go fallow, to rest and make space for whatever might come next. At that time, we had hoped this would be a period of hibernation, rather than an ending.”

It added:

“Sadly, we’ve come to realise that this is not simply a time of hibernation, but the end of our journey with The Dreaming. What a beautiful, wild and wonderful few years it has been.”

What Did The Dreaming Offer?

The Dreaming was positioned as a retreat where visitors could step away from the demands of contemporary life and spend time in the Welsh countryside. Its programme included nature-based experiences and spiritual practices, with sound healing, forest bathing and Druid ceremonies among the activities reported by ITV News.

The retreat was housed at Rhydoldog House, which sits in the foothills of the Elan Valley outside Rhayader. The County Times reported that the estate included 47 acres of grounds and its own helicopter landing area.

The Liverpool Echo reported that each en-suite bedroom had been redesigned around a distinct theme, including The Mystic, The Moon, The Wanderer and Forest Spirits. Food and drink were described as drawing inspiration from the land, with an emphasis on wholesome, plant-based and zero-waste cuisine.

The renovation of the property was documented in the Discovery+ programme Charlotte Church’s Dream Build.

How Many People Visited The Dreaming?

The Dreaming said it had welcomed more than 3,000 guests during its five years of operation.

The retreat also sought to make stays accessible through a “pay what you can” scheme beginning at £1 per night. It additionally offered free stays to NHS workers.

The County Times reported that The Dreaming received a five-star rating from Condé Nast Traveller, as well as recognition from The Times and The Sunday Times, including a 9/10 rating and Spa of the Year.

What Happens To Rhydoldog House?

Although The Dreaming will cease operating retreats, Rhydoldog House will remain available for private hire through Host Your Home.

The closure statement also said that Zac, one of the retreat’s chefs, would be available for private cheffing. The business described his “creativity, love and care” as having brought nourishment to its tables.

The statement said:

“Although The Dreaming is coming to an end, some things continue.”

It added:

“The magic doesn’t end here. We hope the things you’ve discovered here will continue to find their way into your lives.”

Who Did The Dreaming Thank?

The farewell message thanked the retreat team, describing them as “the very heart and lifeblood” of The Dreaming.

It also thanked facilitators, volunteers, artists, makers, gardeners, housekeepers, cooks and healers who had helped to run the retreat.

The Liverpool Echo reported that the statement named facilitators Deborah Coughlin, Kerry Sanson, Lesly Asare, Danielle Arkwright, Kirstyn McIver and Tree Carr. It also named chefs Chippy, Meg, Zac, Valentina, Matt, Altaea, Emily, Juliet, Mary, Nancy, Owain and James.

The statement said: “Thank you for sharing your knowledge, creativity, care and magic with us, and with every guest who walked through our doors.”

What Has Charlotte Church Said About The Retreat?

Earlier in 2026, Church told the Press Association that The Dreaming was intended as a response to the pressures facing people in contemporary society.

“I am really passionate about what we do, because I believe more than ever the world and the people of the world are in dire need of being held through some very difficult times,” she said, as reported by ITV News.

She added that society’s emphasis on “capitalist values and ideologies” had left less space for “care, people, community, nature and belonging”.

Church also said that The Dreaming “can’t fix everything”, describing it as “not a magic pill, but … a magical place”.

The singer had previously said that she had spent “pretty much all my life savings” on the retreat.

How Did Guests Respond?

The closure announcement prompted messages from former guests on Instagram. The Liverpool Echo reported that responses included expressions of sorrow and gratitude from people who had attended retreats at the property.

One former guest wrote that they had visited The Dreaming in February while grieving and had found “peace, kindness, tranquillity and a renewed hope”.

Another said they felt fortunate to have stayed at the retreat twice and described it as “a magical place”, adding that part of its appeal had been the people they met there.

A third former visitor wrote that the retreat had helped them find their singing voice after 15 years, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Background Of The Development

Charlotte Church bought Rhydoldog House, the former home of Laura Ashley, in 2021. The property is located near Rhayader in Powys, within the Elan Valley area of mid Wales.

The Dreaming opened in 2022 according to ITV News, although the County Times reported that the retreat opened in February 2023. The difference in dates reflects differing accounts of the project’s launch and public opening.

Church had planned to turn the estate into a community that would help people “reconnect with themselves and the natural world” following the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the County Times.

The retreat’s closure follows a wider period of pressure on discretionary spending. In October, The Dreaming said that falling bookings and increasing operating costs had made its previous model unsustainable.

Prediction: What The Closure Means For Guests And Local Tourism

For former guests and people interested in wellness travel, the closure removes a well-known Welsh retreat that combined nature-based activities, spiritual practices and sustainable food. Those who had booked future retreats, or who were considering returning, will need to look for alternative providers, as The Dreaming will no longer operate retreats at Rhydoldog House.

For the local tourism economy around Rhayader and the Elan Valley, the end of regular retreat activity may reduce a source of visitor spending that had brought thousands of people to the area over five years. However, the continued availability of Rhydoldog House for private hire through Host Your Home means the property will still receive visitors, though in a different form.

For Wales’s wellness and rural-tourism sector, the case highlights the commercial pressures facing businesses that depend on discretionary spending. The Dreaming’s own account of declining bookings and rising costs suggests that operators offering multi-day retreats may need to reassess pricing, capacity, seasonal demand and operating expenditure to remain viable.