The sun is out, hooray!! (at time of writing!) The days are getting longer, and we are busy preparing the land for another beautiful camping season. We have been topping the willow trees in the garden to allow more light into the vegetable plot and created a dead hedge with the off cuts, which is fabulous for wildlife.

We have planted 250 native trees with thanks to a couple of fabulous volunteers Leo and Surya. A hedgehog from a garden in Dorchester has relocated to Old Bidlake as its old home was being developed. Last week Emily spotted a Peregrine Falcon that we were very excited about. It appears to use the pylons as a high point to hunt from. Seeing nature come alive again is a reminder of why we do what we do—nurturing this special place and the community that gathers here is an absolute joy and a privilege we do not take for granted.

What’s Happening This Year…..

Rest and Reset Retreat with Simon and Emily

Feeling disconnected? Always ‘on’ and can’t stop ‘doing’?
It’s time to rest and reconnect in a way that lasts

Join us for a magical camping* retreat designed to nurture your soul and restore your connection with nature, yourself and others. Nestled in the beautiful wildflower meadow of Old Bidlake Farm with stunning views, this transformative experience will help you step away from the hustle and embrace peace and rest.

Here are some of the opportunities on offer at this magical retreat…

• Led meditations and morning movement
• Sound baths with Reiki Healing
• Curated activities to bring about connection and deep nurturing
• Nature immersion: experience the dark skies, rolling hills, wild flower meadow and orchard of the Farm and the surrounding countryside
• Delicious vegetarian meals to nourish your body and mind

This retreat is for you if:

You’re feeling disconnected and yearning for deeper connection with yourself and nature
You’re caught up in a cycle of doing and need time to just be
You crave rest, nurturing and meaningful moments

COST:

Early bird £280 (ends 31st March 2025), full cost £320. Meals included (vegetarian)

DATE/TIME:

Friday 6th June 2025 from 8pm to Sunday 8th June 2025 at 4pm.

Contact us for more info or to get your spot on this magical retreat

*other accommodation available at extra cost

Citizen Science – A Call to All Nature lovers

This year, we will be inviting as many of you as possible—especially our younger campers—to help us record the plants, animals, and birds that call Bidlake home or pop in for a visit. By creating a baseline of our biodiversity, we can track changes and improvements year on year. Every observation, from a buzzing bee to one of our most recent visitors, a Peregrine falcon adds to the bigger picture. It’s really easy with apps like Seek and Merlin Bird ID.

This shared project will really help to inform us with what we need to provide for nature to thrive and we would love for you to be part of this.

Wednesday & Saturday Night Campfires – A Weekly Tradition

Throughout the school holidays, every Wednesday and Saturday we will have a Campfire & Marshmallow Night (weather permitting)—a perfect way to come together, share stories, and make new friends under the stars. There’s something special about the simple joy of firelight and laughter.

New Events Page – Stay in the Loop

We now have an events page on our website where you can check out what’s coming up here at Old Bidlake Farm and in the surrounding area. So, before you book, take a look!

We have the retreat planned and bush crafting and astrology weekends are in the pipeline.

We would also love to hear from you—what would you like to see at Old Bidlake? Let us know!

Spreading the Magic

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, seeing you all here enjoying the land, and being part of the magic at Old Bidlake means the world to us. Please help us spread the word to kindred spirits who might love this place as much as you do.

Don’t forget our special offer of booking 3 nights and getting the 4th free

For our returning campers. This goes for people you invite too! We will keep this offer going until the end of March.

We leave you with a beautiful Poem from one of our Campers, Pippa McKinnon. It’s about her garden, though it is so relevant to what we do here, we thought we would share it with you. It’s a reminder that, whatever space we have, if we build habitat nature will come…

nuthatch,
redwing,
gold-crest,
coal, great and blue tits, goldfinch,
robin, blackbird, wren,
fresh mole hills, scent of fox
and badger scuffles found in the garden.

This little space is protecting nature,
it is left to unfold in all
four seasons of life and death.
It harbours trees, fresh water created for nature.

See the fallen leaves heaped on beds and in piles,
protecting living soil and insect kingdoms.
tangles of hazel and hawthorn native hedges,
seeds left as food offerings on stalks,
rose hips and crab apples reach skyward for birds,
trees branching arms for shelter and rest,
and fresh rain water pooled in stone and dishes.

this isn’t the manicured ‘garden’ we have come to expect on screens and public spaces.
this space is purposefully shared,
mindfully non manicured,
a safe space for nature to survive and sometimes I dare to hope, perhaps even thrive.

It feels like a postage stamp haven,
surrounded by a thousand grass squares,
of empty cut spaces, planted with chemical spray and weed killer, fenced to keep wildlife out.

Much love

Simon & Emily