The Healthy Home is a Retreat house that accommodates up to 16 people with six bedrooms, six bathrooms and six reception rooms. The oldest section is the Peel House which dates back over 700 years while the New Building constructed of old reclaimed stone was added in 2005.  The house became known as ‘The Healthy Home’ when healthy living author, Gina Lazenby, moved in and following on from the successful launch of her international best-selling Feng Shui House Book was asked to write The Healthy Home title. The development of the house from tiny cottage to the larger property on offer today, provided the research for the book.

The Healthy Home philosophy is to live in a calm, healing and regenerative environment with minimum toxins and low electro-magnetic fields. 

The house has been the personal retreat for healthy living author Gina Lazenby for over 20 years. When she lived there full-time she hosted many gatherings, retreats and educational programmes with visitors coming from all over the world. Channel 4 News filmed and interviewed her about creating a calm lifestyle as an alternative to busy London stress; BBC One filmed a feature on the healing aspects of the house for their Inside Out programme and Yorkshire TV broadcast their Calender evening news programme live from the house highlighting the calm and healthy interior. 

Since the house was made available for exclusive use, it has hosted several yoga and well-being retreats and this is what the house was originally intended for …. to provide an oasis of calm in a natural and rejuvenating space. 

Accommodation: Six bedrooms are ranged on the upper floors across all three adjoining buildings that make up the one property. There are 12 beds (3 doubles, 2 kings & 7 singles). In addition, our neighbour owns Street Head Cottage, next door, with five bedrooms and we can work with them to book that extra accommodation if needed.

Resources at The Healthy Home in more detail for planning your event

The Big Room: This large space is ideal for group gatherings for education, meditation or yoga.  It works for eleven mats which is usually the leader and ten guests. The doors open onto the top terrace and there are spectacular views over the gardens to the valley below. This big room opens into the lovely Conservatory where you can enjoy valley views and our private woodland.

All the chairs, light sofas and tables you see in the publicity photos are removed for yoga. There is a CD player and amplifier for playing streamed music or from your smart phone. Speakers in the ceiling. Room size: 23’6” x 16’7” / 7.17m x 5.05m  

Private Suite for Workshop Leader: The Panorama Lounge on the first floor of the New Building (above the Big Room) has the most breathtaking views, particularly of the sunrise across the Aire Valley. It is perfect as a quiet, private space and we do suggest that together with Bedroom 6, it is set aside for exclusive use by the workshop leader.  It can also be an additional sleeping space (using the sofa bed) or as a resource room for massages etc (we have a massage table). There is a private bathroom next to this bedroom. (In January 2021 we are adding a smart and discreet kitchen to this room.) 

Bedrooms 6 in total: Apart from the host room, there are five other bedrooms for guests. The Peel House & Old Cottage have Bedroom 1 (Robin) with two single beds; and Bedroom 2 (Peacock) with a King bed and a single bed. They share one bathroom.

The Barn has three bedrooms above the Lounge. Bedroom 3 (Partridge) has a King size with two single beds and an en suite shower room. Bedroom 4 (Lapwing) has twin beds. Bedroom 5 (Dove, the Secret Bedroom) is small and has a double bed (OK for a couple or ideal to offer an attendee paying a single supplement to be on their own).  Guests in Beds 4 and 5 have an adjacent shower room as well as additional showers in the Barn and Top Hall. We value deep comfortable sleep and invest in high quality mattresses and most beds have Nikken far-infra red quilts.

Several Gathering Spaces: In addition to the Big Room, there are five other lounges and gathering spaces: the Conservatory, Panoramic Lounge facing the sunrise, Barn TV Lounge, cosy Tea Parlour, & Dining Room with Library area. The Barn Lounge has two large, long sofas and chairs set around a big curved TV. This can be used for DVDs or as a screen for material projected from a laptop. The Library area in the Dining Room has many books on wellbeing on the wall shelves.

Tea Service: The Tea Parlour is a sitting area where we keep info about the area and maps for walking. Retreat guests like to use this cosy space to hang out on the sofa and chairs We can set up a separate tea station so that your guests need not disturb the kitchen at break times. There is a cupboard full of vintage tea china.

Kitchen & Catering: The kitchen is very well equipped for group meals. Many large plans, dishes, mixing bowls and serving containers. Plenty of crockery for up to 16 and another set of 16 is in storage. More than 20 settings of cutlery. Spice drawers have condiments and in season, the garden outside has fresh bay leaves, mint, sage, oregano and lemon balm.  There is a Gas hob, two electric fan ovens, fridge freezer and second tall larder fridge.  Covered food can also be stored in the cold cellar (off the kitchen). We have a hand blender, NutriBullet, Juicer, large slow-cooker, Popcorn maker & Chocolate fountain.

There is a log fire in the kitchen and stools to sit by it. There is a Farmhouse style dining table for buffet service and additional space. Plenty of space for cooking demonstrations or cookery teaching.  If you don’t want to bring your own cook, we have contact with cooks and catering services who can provide the meals that suit your programme.

Dining Room: This is right next door to the kitchen with a large oak table and seating for 14. There is a second table that be used as an extender or separately for service. For special events, alternative dining can be set up on two large trestle tables (we have large cloths) in the Big Room or out on the terrace (as needed and weather permitting). The trestle tables are stored in the Conservatory.

Maintenance & Support: There is two of most everything. A spare Convection oven, two boilers (one in each building), two water pumps bringing water from our own spring … we aim to make sure there is a back up of most things. Both Housekeepers live ten minutes away, so if there is an urgent matter to handle they can be called on and other support services like handyman, plumber, electrician can usually be called on for emergencies during a weekend event.

Candles: For safety, we request that you do not use tall candles but small tea lights in glass containers are fine. We have plenty of those glass containers. We do supply a tall, large glass candle holder. Do bring your own incense.

Super Fast Internet: Even though it is a retreat people still want and expect fast internet. We have now managed to upgrade the broadband from a very weak BT signal of 1.5mb to a fast 30mb. This would be fast enough to provide a quality connection if speakers were brought to an event via Skype or Zoom. Our recommendation is to switch off the router at night to further aid peaceful sleep.

Outside: There are three terrace levels from which to enjoy the spectacular views across the valley. Everybody comments on how breathtaking the views are. Dining Terrace is on the sheltered middle level approached from the Tea Parlour, and has 2 large tables, many chairs, a BBQ and a Sail cover can be erected for shade. 

Gardens: there is a large garden to wander around and a pond with a fence. There is also a metal firepit. The garden is a nature haven with a small field and woodland behind and a protected hillside wild garden in front. Organically cultivated for the 50 years we have owned it, the garden is quite a nature sanctuary…. we’ve counted 30 species of birds from wrens and collard doves to lapwings, curlews, barn owls and sparrow hawks. The top field has a pathway that winds through the trees and is ideal for Forest Bathing and meditative walks.

Parking: there is space to park three cars outside the entrance to the house and 4-5 in the top parking area.

Walking: the house is located on a hilltop and there are dozens of scenic walks of varying lengths right from our own doorstep. We also have plenty of maps and some marked walks.

Peace and Quiet: the house is literally off the beaten track away from the road. It is a very quiet sanctuary in nature.