Immerse yourself in a week of beautiful wildlife, English culture, painting, delicious food, great company and ancient history.
Come and spend a very special week of painting wildlife with award-winning artist, Sarah Stokes, in a grand Edwardian house, nestled in the heart of the picturesque Southwest Cotswolds. The Manor House and the adjoining stable block have been painstakingly restored to a very high standard where you will enjoy your own beautifully furnished ensuite room. Set amongst 18 acres of secluded private woodland, you'll relax and paint in authentic surroundings, with delicious meals provided throughout your stay, cooked by our in-house chef.
Sited along the Cotswolds Way National Trail, in the ancient village of Stinchcombe, this retreat is perfectly located for trips out to a nearby award winning wildlife wetland reserve, a historic castle and a host of picturesque towns. Bath, Bristol and London are within easy reach which means that you can easily extend your tour of the UK either side of the retreat. With wildlife on the doorstep to inspire you, delicious home cooked food to fill you and the most beautiful accommodation to paint and relax in, this magical Cotswolds experience will last with you forever. There's a world class golf course next door, ideal if you want to bring a golf-loving, non-partipating artist with you as well as miles of countryside walks on the doorstep!
Cotswold Art Retreat Itinerary
We've created an amazing itinerary packed full of photographic, painting, sight- seeing and dining experiences. Whether you want to watch otters at play or photograph flamingos feeding at an internationally acclaimed wildlife reserve, step inside a 12th century fortress or explore the myriad of antique shops, galleries, restaurants and artisan businesses of the Cotswolds then this retreat ticks every box! Sarah will be there every step of the way to guide you steadily through the process of getting your wildlife visions painted in watercolour.
During this experience you'll be shown how to translate your ideas into stunning pieces of artwork, whether you are painting pollinators, reptiles, birds or larger mammals. Whether you’re an established artist or just beginning your journey, all levels of expertise are welcome.
The proposed 8 day, 7 night itinerary is shown below and all excursions are organised and included. You don’t need any art experience to enjoy this tour.
Please note that the programme maybe subject to change due to the nature of the excursions.
Day one
Arrive at the market town of Stroud where transport will bring you to Stinchcombe House.
On arrival to your accommodation, you will shown to your comfortable room, with time to settle in.
Meet Sarah Stokes, then embark on a lovely orientation tour of the gardens, teaching and dining areas of the Manor House. For those guests who like to get a grip on their surroundings there will be the option of an early evening stroll round the extensive grounds and woodlands.
In the evening, get to know your art group over a freshly prepared evening meal, enhanced by a glass of carefully selected wine.
Day three
Your third day unfolds with breakfast, fresh juices and coffee where we can chat about the day ahead before heading out the award winning Wetland Wildlife Trust at Slimbridge, a remarkable and vast mosaic of wetlands, including open water reef bed, grazing marsh, ponds and pools.
This is home to the world’s largest collection of exotic, rare and endangered ducks, geese and swans as well as a multitude of other wildlife such as kingfishers, water voles, otters and five different types of flamingos. With curlew, warblers, waders, egrets, oystercatchers, pollinators, harvest mice, roe deer and cranes making this place their home, you will be enthralled by this incredible conservation reserve. You will be taken on a guided tour of the site, with a the option of taking part in a group photographic workshop.
Lunch will be served at the Kingfisher Kitchen, after which we will be able explore parts of the 650 acre site with a professional guide and hopefully, weather permitting take part in an off road jeep safari through the wetlands. What an amazing opportunity for photographing a host of beautiful animals!
During the rest of the day your time will be your own to explore and photograph the other sights at Slimbridge including the indoor art gallery, sculpture garden, and historic home of Peter Scott, son of “Scott of the Antarctic”, artist and founder of the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust. The daily afternoon otter talk also offers a fascinating insight into the life of these much loved water creatures. After such a busy and inspiring day, we’ll head back to the Manor House for a welcome home cooked evening meal, washed down with some delicious wine.
Day five
Day five starts with a gorgeous selection of breakfast items with coffee, tea and fresh juices before we set out to the ancient Fortress and family home of the Berkeley’s, Berkeley Castle. During the tour of this stunning 12th Century Norman castle you will get to see the China room where Queen Elizabeth 1’s bedspread is on display, the Kings Gallery where Edward 11 was held prisoner and later murdered amongst a host of other rooms and gardens.
We will then travel out to some of the prettiest towns and villages in the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is a region known for its picturesque scenery and quintessentially English charm. This will be the perfect opportunity to take photographs of the iconic stone buildings and ancient market squares, visit antique shop and cosy pubs and marvel at its myriad of bridges, streams, and natural beauty. A minimum of at least 3 villages will be visited with the chance to take afternoon tea in a traditional Cotswolds cafe. Castle Combe, Bibury, Bourton on The Water, Painswick, Malmesbury Abbey, Burford, and Tetbury are some of the villages in mind. As the afternoon draws to a close, we will head back to the warm and inviting atmosphere of Stincombe to enjoy a seasonal apple cider aperol spritz, by the fire before getting ready for a delicious 3 course evening meal freshly prepared by the house cook.
Day seven
Over breakfast, the final day presents the ideal opportunity to reflect about the kind of
painting that you would like to create as a result of the sights, sounds and photographs
that you will have taken during this immersive retreat.
Throughout the day Sarah will be on hand to carefully guide you through any pieces that you want to start or complete, whether they are art journal pages or fully fledged paintings. With a printer on hand, you will be able to print off any reference photos you need to recreate your work. Inspired by the trip to Slimbridge Wetlands Centre, Sarah will also be demonstrating the painting of a swan for anyone who wishes to follow her in painting this piece.
Topped up throughout the afternoon with homemade seasonal delights, the pace of this
last day will be relaxed and steady. Just after afternoon tea, an informal exhibition of work
will be set in the cinema room… presenting the ideal chance to chat to fellow guests
about techniques used and images inspired. The last night calls for a very special celebration whereby our private chef will prepare a delectable 5 course meal paired with a superb selection of wines.
Day two
After a hearty English breakfast, we will embark on our first art lesson during which I will teach you loosening up techniques to create a beautiful English hare in graphite and watercolour. This exercise will help free up your style and paint with an emphasis on expressive mark making and not precision brush work. After a delicious lunch we will draw an otter in its natural habitat. Throughout the afternoon, we will start to paint the otter using a balance of warm and cool colours. Punctuated by afternoon tea, this session will immerse you the techniques required to effectively depict the texture of fur and the fluidity of water.
With this practical session finished you will have time to relax and refresh ready for a beautifully prepared meal at Stinchcombe Hill House.
Day four
After a freshly prepared breakfast, we will have a steady and solid day of painting at the venue. During the morning we will finish off the otter painting which we started on Sunday. After a light buffet style lunch, we will then prep and paint either flamingos or swans in situ. The painting of these iconic birds will teach you how to paint the sky using a graduated wash, as well as convincing reflections, shadows, splashes and feathers. Colour mixing, timing and pigment control will be key skills learnt during this session. And if course, there will be the obligatory afternoon tea! Once our painting session has finished there will be some time to relax and freshen up before heading out to a traditional village pub for our evening meal in cosy surroundings.
Day six
After a nutritious breakfast, we will embark on a day of uninterrupted painting. During the
day, Sarah will show you how to paint a large majestic stag using a range of desaturated colours.
During this class you will learn how to paint beautiful, soulful eyes as well as the characteristic colours and markings of antlers.
After a light buffet lunch, you will create the background for the stag, using flat washes and
expressive techniques to denote the woodlands from which it emerges. This is the time to get expressive with splashes, flicks and painterly strokes, helped along by Sarah’s encouraging guidance. After painting this beautiful, considered piece it’ll be time for some relaxation before joining everyone for an apperitivo hour, followed by a delicious home cooked dinner.
Day eight
Enjoy a filling breakfast together, exchange any last contacts and catch the 10 am transfer to Stroud train station.
Day 3: Slimbridge itinerary subject to weather
10.30am-1pm: Optional photography workshop
1-2pm: Lunch in the Kingfisher Restaurant
2pm-3.30pm: Wild safari – weather dependent
2.15pm: Waterscapes Aviary Talk
3pm: Otter talk
3.30pm onwards: Free time
Paint with Sarah Stokes
In terms of artistic practice, Sarah will help you harness better control over this liquid medium, focusing on a diverse range of subjects. Building your knowledge up steadily, you will start our journey by depicting smaller animals in pencil and charcoal. Once confident you will dive into watercolour exploring its magical qualities of translucency and fluidity to depict other wildlife subjects in a loose and expressive manner. Flamingos, otters, swans and hares will be our inspiration for a whole range of exciting and exhilarating techniques. The inspiring animals that we study on this retreat will give us abundant opportunities to practice advanced techniques in depicting feathers and fur as well as the environment in which they live.
In addition to painting with Sarah Stokes, you’ll dive deep into the culture and warmth of this beautiful area. You will have the opportunity to visit the most beautiful Cotswold villages, observe, sketch and photograph a range of rare breed birds and other animals in their natural habitat at Slimbridge Wetland Centre, tour the ancient fortress of Berkeley Castle discovering its secrets and history, and enjoy beautiful home cooked food in the wonderful surroundings of a traditional stone Cotswold Manor.
At this expressive art retreat, you will learn how to:
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Better understand the role of shape, tone, perspective and composition.
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Get to grips with timing and pigment control
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Create any colour you wish from a simplified colour palette and avoid muddiness
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Embrace a playful approach to the medium to help you create loose brush marks and convincing textures utilising salt, clingfilm, and masking fluid.
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Break down complex forms, both animate and inanimate to depict paintings that read well.
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Achieve depth, tone and vibrancy in a piece
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Find a harmony between loose and realistic brushwork
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Incorporate background washes and natural elements into your work such as water, skies, trees and foliage
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Paint from reference photographs and from life
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Capture a sense of time and place
Featuring Guest Artist: Andrew Hemming
As a special bonus, Andrew Hemming, one of Olive and Plum’s talented landscape artists will join be joining us to reveal his ever popular techniques for creating loose, expressive landscapes.
Andrew is an award winning photographer and painter based in England whose work has graced the pages of numerous magazines, adorned book covers, and been showcased and sold in exhibitions.
Exclusive Use of the Manor House & New Stables
At our Cotswolds Art Retreat you have the choice of staying within the traditional, Edwardian Manor House or the beautiful New Stables, which are directly opposite. Dining, workshops and socialising takes place in the main Manor House. Both offer beautifully decorated bedrooms, with sumptuous beds, offering an ideal place to relax at the end of the day.
Stay in friendly luxury at the Edwardian Manor House
Relax and unwind in one of the Manor houses’s beautifully furnished bedrooms, set in 18 acres of unspoilt English countryside. Each room is tastefully decorated and generous in proportion, whether you are sharing with a partner or having the room to yourself. You'll have no troubles drifting off to sleep at night with sprung hybrid pocket-gel mattresses, Egyptian-cotton bedding, feather pillows and duvets.
The principal house is a fine, cotswold stone Edwardian manor house. It features stone mullion windows under a multi gabled cotswold stone roof. Inside, it boasts a large country kitchen complete with Aga cooker, limestone floor, breakfast table seating 20 people, and patio doors out onto a large terrace, blessed with stunning views over the River Severn. Downstairs there are four reception rooms; a cosy reading room, an oak panelled lobby, a large snooker and reading room, cinema and party room; three of which are equipped with log burners. In the cellar there is a bar, with darts, table football and a play station. Adjoining the lobby is an enclosed garden room with oak bi-folding doors which can be opened out to enjoy the gardens whilst undercover. On the first floor there are 5 double bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, an en-suite double room with an additional single bed option. Every room has a unique view, from Nibley monument, to the welsh mountains in the distance. On the second floor there is a double bedroom suite with a dressing room.
All meals are lovingly prepared by the in-house cook. Some meals will be off-site when on excursion. All meals & drinks with meals are included.
Virtual tour
With a few clicks you can be leisurely making your way through living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens and bathrooms – the whole house in all its beauty waiting for you to step on in for an effortless and insightful virtual tour. Click below to view the Manor House.
Facilities:
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Wi-fi
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Gym
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Steam Room & Treatment Room
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Bar
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Lounge area
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Games Room
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Cinema Room
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Kitchen/dining room
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Extensive gardens
Price includes:
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All meals
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Drinks with meals
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Art Classes
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Featured Excursions
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Use of facilities
Stay in the beautiful New Stables, with four self-contained suites, the master suite with jazuzzi & lounge/kitchen area.
Opposite the Manor House is the New Stables, with five sumptuous suites, each with their own private bathroom. Four of the independent suites are on the ground floor and are accessed via their own stable style front door. The fifth suite is accessed on the first floor via an oak staircase. This suite has a balcony over the porch with a jacuzzi bathtub and bi-folding windows. The Living space, in the heart of the building, features low oak beams and a cosy wood burner. There is a kitchen available for making tea/coffee to everyone staying in the Stables. Alternatively, for an alfresco experience, there are outside dining tables handmade from the same green oak as the frame, under a heated and covered pergola. Those staying in the New Stables are also very welcome to use the grounds and social areas of the Manor House. As with the Manor House, the beds are really comfortable with sprung hybrid pocket-gel mattresses, Egyptian-cotton bedding, feather pillows and duvets
Virtual tour
With a few clicks you can be leisurely making your way through living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens and bathrooms – the whole house in all its beauty waiting for you to step on in for an effortless and insightful virtual tour. Click below to view the New Stables.
Freshly prepared, home cooked Food
Most of your meals will be freshly prepared each day by the House chef. Here is a sample daily menu of the food that you'll get to enjoy during your stay in the Cotswolds.
What’s Included in the Retreat:
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Art Experience:
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Art classes, individual tuition, and demonstrations with Sarah Stokes.
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Access to a private WhatsApp group with Sarah Stokes and other participants at least six months before the retreat.
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Exclusive Use of Facilities:
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Full access to Stinchcombe Hill House, including all common areas, workshop spaces, gardens, movie room, steam room and gym.
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Accommodation:
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7 nights at Stinchcombe Hill House or New Stables, with daily housekeeping.
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Check-in after 14:00 on 26th September 2025, and checkout by 10:00 on 3rd October 2025.
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Bedrooms include en-suite bathrooms, hair dryers, and toiletries.
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Solo occupancy of your own private ensuite room (or shared with a partner of your choice)
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Dining & Refreshments:
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All meals provided: freshly prepared breakfasts, home-cooked dinners, and snacks/refreshments throughout the day.
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All meals prepared by a private cook.
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The only meal not included is lunch during the day out in the Cotswolds.
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Complimentary water, coffee, tea, and juice during your stay.
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Alcoholic drinks & soft drinks during evening meal service and at aperitif hour
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Transportation & Fees:
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Transportation to and from Stinchcombe Hill House from Stroud Train Station at specified times, that you'll be informed of in advance so you can plan your journey.
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All tourist taxes and fees covered.
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Workshop Equipment:
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Provided: tables, chairs, glass jars, printer with ink, and paper towels.
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Additional Information:
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The retreat is limited to 18 art guests, and every effort will be made to accommodate your room choice. If circumstances change, suitable alternative accommodations will be arranged.
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If you have any food allergies or intolerances, please inform us in advance.
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The accommodation has been described to the best of our ability; for any specific concerns (e.g., access, location, or facilities), please enquire before booking.
Not Included:
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Airfare
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Travel insurance (mandatory, evidence required before travel)
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Art materials (a detailed list will be provided two months prior by Sarah Stokes)
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Spa treatments
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Staff gratuities
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Personal expenses such as extra drinks, snacks, souvenirs, and any costs before or after the retreat.
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Tour of Peter Scott’s house at Slimbridge.
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Alcoholic drinks outside of evening meals and aperitif hour.