Courses & Retreats
Surrounded by the tranquil beauty of Lavethan, visitors leave behind the bustle of everyday life and focus on their creative projects. Most of our residential courses are music-centred, but we also host courses for artists, writers, actors, wellbeing disciplines such as yoga and mindfulness, and restorative therapy for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. A special quality at Lavethan is its quietness: no road noise, only the sounds of trees, birds, streams and the river.
Past residencies at Lavethan include South West Music School, Making Poems with George Szirtes, Royal Northern College of Music, Pathmakers Theatre Group, Young Composers, MusicWorks, Birmingham Conservatoire, Music Embodied, Mindfulness for Creatives, Making Portraits with Susannah Fiennes, Alexander Technique for Musicians, Chamber Studio.
Small groups are also welcome to spend a few days alone at Lavethan on an informal basis, developing their work together.
“This week has been such a source of spiritual and musical renovation. The inspirational coaching and lessons have renewed my love for our craft, and I leave refreshed and hungry for even more music.”
Join a Course
See below for details of upcoming courses, and contact us if you have any questions. The list of courses and related information is updated regularly.
Create a Course
If you are interested in bringing a course to Lavethan, please contact us to say what you have in mind. We are happy to discuss the suitability of Lavethan for your particular project and give you an idea of our relevant facilities, prices (dependent on the type of course and the time of year), optimum numbers and catering arrangements. For details of our accommodation, rehearsal/performance spaces and other facilities, please see our Course FAQs.
Course FAQs
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Accommodation for residential courses is flexible. Groups ranging from 5 to 30 can stay in comfort, in buildings suited to the number of guests. Bedrooms are generously sized and there are several living rooms, rehearsal rooms and performance spaces. For larger courses, guests may be sharing bedrooms and bathrooms with the other participants.
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Lavethan has seven areas suitable for group rehearsals and classes, including three grand pianos and two upright pianos. The newly renovated Barn is our main performance space, seating an audience of 80, with a low stage and a 6-foot Yamaha piano. In the Main House there are two large living rooms housing a Steinway and a Bluthner piano. The thickness of the walls enables groups to rehearse in adjacent rooms without disturbing each other. Harry Cottage has an enormous living space suitable for rehearsals and informal house concerts.
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Across the property, Lavethan has seven comfortable living rooms of various sizes – ranging from cosy to vast – where gatherings take place. The big dining room looks out across the valley with a table seating up to 18 people, suitable for meetings, writing and group discussions. The largest living-room area, in Harry Cottage, has long sofas which can be moved back to create a generous space for recreation, movement classes or up to 14 yoga mats. The south-facing Barn is the largest performance space and also a flexible area for artwork, with long tables for meals or craft activities. There is Wifi everywhere and a good mobile signal.
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For courses and workshops focusing on the Outdoors, there is a lot to discover. Meadows lead down to the small Waterloo river, with a long narrow island to explore, and paths leading up into Lavethan Wood. Within the grounds there are formal gardens and large green spaces, but the most unusual part is the Water Garden: a hidden area abounding in streams, bridges, stone steps, tall trees, a lily pond, an ancient Holy Well (possibly older than the house itself), Celtic crosses and a grotto. This special place, rich in flora and fauna, attracts people looking for quietness and the healing sound of flowing water, and can also be a magical spot for informal music-making.
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We can arrange in-house catering, providing tasty and healthy home-cooked meals in the main house for smaller groups, or at long tables in the Barn for larger groups. Dietary requirements can be accommodated. For groups who prefer to bring their own caterer, the Barn contains a fully equipped commercial kitchen.
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Lavethan is an historic building and not all areas are fully accessible. If you have questions about accessibility, please get in touch so we can provide you with information about the building and help you plan your visit.
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Prices are reasonable and subject to discussion, depending on the time of year and the size of the group. Please get in touch with details of your group for a quote.
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Lavethan is 5 miles from Bodmin Parkway train station, and 50 miles west of Exeter by car. See here for more directions. There is free parking on site.
