I Visited 42 Acres, A Family-Friendly Somerset Retreat That Reset My Nervous System

We are going on a mini-break – our first since having a baby, almost ten months ago. I discovered 42 Acres Retreat through a friend’s Instagram and thought ‘where’s that?’, so when I later learned it could also cater perfectly for our family’s practical needs (i.e child- and dog-friendly whilst still being a treat for mummy and daddy) the deal was sealed.

‘Are you sure we need this much almond milk?’, asks my husband, Max, who is packing up our small car Tetris-style with what seems to be our entire household.

All week, my brain has been offering up helpful intrusive questions, such as: What if we forget the baby monitor? What if none of us can sleep? What if I miss my train? On top of this, Max and I both have some sort of virus but we are choosing to ignore it because WE ARE GOING ON A MINI BREAK!

On Friday, as a heatwave begins to set in, we leave London: husband, dog and luggage in the car, the baby and I on the train because she will not go in the car seat for what, we suspect, are ecological reasons.

The entrance to 42 Acres

The turning to 42 Acres is off a country lane and down a long driveway, which feels like we are burrowing further and further into a secret enclave, leaving the real world behind and crossing a portal into a more peaceful dimension. It is over 20 minutes to the next nearest sign of humanity. We ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ our way towards a cluster of old buildings, adorned with creeping vines and nesting swallows. Our accommodation is called The Library Barn, which is a good indicator of what it’s like inside: spacious and airy yet cosy at the same time. The décor is magazine-photo level tasteful, but with enough homely touches that I don’t have to worry about the dog jumping on the sofa (there’s a rug over it) or the baby spilling food on the floor (it’s all smooth wipeable stone).

Magazine-worthy décor

‘Wow,’ says Max. ‘This is amazing.’

And it is. The house is perfect, the valley is jaw-droppingly beautiful. I, however, haven’t yet managed to let the hypervigilance which is required for travelling solo with a baby leave my body.

Thankfully, the wood-fired sauna has been lit for us, and there is just time for a visit before we get into the routine of feeding, bathing and putting the baby to bed. In the yolky golden light of the late afternoon, we walk in our towels along a gravel track, through some woodland, and past a glimmering swamp where beavers (yes, beavers) have directed the lake water into the trees. In a clearing are some long wooden picnic tables that look as if they have each been made from a single trunk of oak, a treehouse overlooking a vast lake, and the sauna hut. It’s just us here, but if we spotted a fairy or a faun I wouldn’t be surprised.

The ‘wild’ sauna in 42 Acres’ woodland

We take it in turns to have a good old sweat while the other holds the baby, followed by deliciously ice-cold showers outdoors, the leaves of trees reaching in to tickle our skin, the evening light glowing aslant through the canopy.

‘Feeling better?’ asks Max, invigorated after the hot-cold immersions.

‘Getting there,’ I say.

The truth is, though I am awestruck by the wonder of this place, my cortisol levels are still coursing along, lagging behind the reality that we are here to relax. I lie in bed that first night and listen to the chorus of songbirds serenading me to sleep, even as thoughts still chip in, the fact that we are twenty minutes from anything like a shop or a pharmacy nagging away at me.

But then the next morning the revelation happens. 42 Acres has many gorgeous offerings for guests – yoga, wild swimming, cooking, guided walks, fire craft – all optional so you can be as involved as you want to be. At 9am on Saturday I am booked in for a Yin yoga class. (For those unfamiliar, Yin is gentle type of yoga where you hold a few softer poses for sustained periods). Off I head down the track, a mist covering the meadow of beehives to my right, the morning air still cool before the day heats up.

I walk into the Mandala Barn on the edge of the woods and am greeted by Lauren, the yoga teacher. She has that human-chamomile effect and I instantly feel a little more pliant, lying on the floor, being guided by her warm voice. She tells us that today’s session will focus on resetting the nervous system.

To begin with, I can’t help fretting about whether my baby is still asleep, as she was when I left her, or if she’s woken up and needs me. I picture her inconsolably crying as my husband tries to bounce and distract her for the hour while Mummy is otherwise occupied.

‘If you’ve had a stressful week,’ says Lauren. ‘Inviting your body and nervous system to slow down is a big ask.’

It is, particularly post-partum. But I try. I follow Lauren’s soothing instructions, and after about 20 minutes, my nervous system shifts down a gear. I am no longer in fight-or-flight, I am – as the mantra Lauren gives us goes – here. I am safe.

After this, the weekend comes into its own. I thank Lauren and walk, not hurry, back to The Library Barn, and find Max and the baby happily lying on the bed, having both just woken up. And I realise something – twenty minutes. That’s how long it took me, lying there, simply breathing, before my body caught up with the fact of its own safety. Twenty minutes is how far we are here from anything else. I’m sure this is pure coincidence, but it struck me that the invisible portal I felt we had entered when coming down 42 Acres’ long driveway was, in a way, real. On all sides you are padded by 20 minutes distance from the world, 20 minutes from urgency in every direction. Enough time to let your shoulders drop, to let the muscles in your face relax, to let your inner chatter quieten.

White storks are raised at 42 Acres

A little later that morning, baby slinged-up and dog-in-tow, we are taken on a guided walk by one of the estate team, a Viking-esque man called Raf. For the next hour, we meander around the circumference of the lake while Raf points out where the beavers have made dens and waterways, as well as telling us about the history of 42 Acres and the other wildlife they have there – which, by the way, includes white storks and wild cats. The scenery couldn’t be more idyllic, sun glinting off the water and filtering through the leaves above, waterbirds gliding serenely across the lake, a row-boat bobbing in its small house.

After heading back to our barn for some lunch al fresco (the Library Barn has a lovely dining terrace), we spend the afternoon on the jetty by the lake, swimming in the fresh water while the other sits with the baby, who is completely entranced by the whole thing and wants to get in herself.

Now that I’m allowing myself to fully participate in this experience, the beauty of 42 Acres seems even more enhanced. I float on my back among lily pads and gaze up at the cloudless sky.

That evening, Max makes us a spring pasta for supper filled with herbs freshly picked from the edible walled garden just a short walk away from the barn. And when we go to bed, I listen to the birdsong and find my usual anxious internal radio has hushed.

Come our final day, we’ve found our rhythm: walking, eating, swimming, reading. Spending time in an environment where the land and wildlife are so lovingly looked after reminds me of the Andy Goldsworthy quote: ‘We often forget that we are nature. Nature is not separate from us. So when we say we have lost our connection to nature, we’ve lost our connection to ourselves.’

This trip was exactly what I wanted – a break. But more than that, 42 Acres gave me something I didn’t know I needed: a reconnection to myself.

C&TH Key Notes

Must-do: Sweat at dusk in the log-fired Sauna, followed by an Al Fresco shower

Dish to ask for: You can pre-order a seasonal meal ahead of your stay – we had the lasagna and it was fab.

Drink to order: Pick some mint leaves from the edible garden and brew your own mint tea.

Place to visit: A full walk around the lake to see the home of the beavers, followed by a wild swim.

Table to request: The fairy clearing in the woods for pure outdoor magic.

The Library Barn at 42 Acres, Witham Friary, Frome, Somerset BA11 5HL, is available from £305 per night. Rooms across the estate start from £175 per night for the Tiny Boat. 42acres.com.