Masterclasses, talks and workshops to inspire.
Friday 11th September
9:45am-3:00pm
Lunch, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
“Workshops like this can be more explanatory and give you an opportunity to repeat, learn, understand and implement for your own, individual body’s benefit. These key tools and techniques can help you progress in your practice faster.” - Emma Garland
Join us for a day of yoga to learn more about how to move your body better. We all have different body types and over time, unexplained aches and pains can show up in knees, hips, the back, neck and shoulders. Often issues with our knees can impact how tight our hips become over time.
As we age, we develop bad habits in how we move, stretch and even train for strength. Yoga gives us tools to move more mindfully, slowly and deepen our awareness of proper alignment.
This Yoga Workshop will specifically help you realign in your yoga practice. To help you understand how you move your body and how to adjust/modify to make improvements for everyday, as well as other sports/training.
In this workshop you will:
Learn how to correct alignment for your body type.
Learn how your feet and knees can impact your hips and back and vice versa.
Understand the muscles to strengthen as priority.
Learn how to introduce strength into foundational postures.
Have the opportunity to have your postures checked for safety, taking into account any injuries.
All equipment, food and drink throughout the day is provided. You’re welcome to bring your own yoga mat, if you prefer.
This session is suitable for all levels and experience!
Saturday 19th September
9:45am - 12pm & 12:45pm - 3pm
Snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
This is a very special session suitable for anyone who is interested in the mindful aspect of wild swimming.
We will be practising meditative practices in the water so you will need to be a confident swimmer. Come and experience the magic of the lake on Hawarden Estate, and feel the benefits of cold water therapy. You’ll be guided through the whole experience starting with a walk through the stunning Walled Garden to the lake, where you’ll learn tips and techniques from our wild swimming expert, Sheena. She will guide you through the experience, which includes breathwork and mindfulness.
Following the session, there will be a sauna session giving you some time to reflect on your cold-water therapy.
Suitability and availability:
Suitable for all seasoned cold-water swimmers.
Please note that the walk to the lake is over rough, uneven ground.
Wetsuits are not required.
Session length: 30 minutes in the water with the rest of the 2 hour session being instructed by Sheena and in our beautiful sauna.
Not suitable for children.
Saturday 19th September
10am - 12pm
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
A fungal foray with a true expert.
Join renowned naturalist and foraging expert David Winnard for a leisurely stroll through the grounds of Hawarden Estate to explore the world of mushrooms and other fungi. During this walk you will learn:
How mushrooms and fungi work.
Why they are important.
How they fit into the ecosystem.
How we go about identifying different species.
We will look for a variety of species in different habitats and, where appropriate, discuss edible, poisonous and medicinal species.
“From Hairy Curtain Crust to Turkeytail, Shaggy Parasol to Oakbug Milkcap, the world of mushrooms and other fungi await us to discover them in a beautiful setting.”
Saturday 26th September
10am - 2pm
Lunch and unlimited tea and coffee included.
Fizz Up! Learn how to make Kombucha with The Plucky Pickle.
Together with Jules Goddard AKA The Plucky Pickle you will discover:
The magic of fermentation
How to make a wild fermented Kombucha.
New flavours during a tasting session of fermented foods and drinks.
You will leave this masterclass with two of your own fermented kombuchas.
Friday 9th October
9:45am-2:00pm
Lunch, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
“Time spent outdoors in nature can be a great way to boost the mind and body, as well as the nervous and immune system. Experiencing natural sunlight can also boost your mood and productivity!” - Emma Garland
This wellbeing day is designed to give you space to connect back to yourself, to your body and to create a space for your mind to be a little quieter. We all have busy lives with stresses and worries that eat into our lives and increase pressure and stresses that we often hold in the body.
This is a relaxed, restorative day for you to take much needed time out for yourself with no expectation or knowledge required. We encourage you to go at your own pace and to join in as much or as little as you like.
The day includes a gentle stroll through the gardens of Hawarden Estate, up to the Old Castle for breathwork, followed by a hot drink back at the Conservatory. We’ll roll out our mats, move slowly, mindfully and connect to our body with the breath. We usually finish with a restorative relaxation to rest the body fully. The day finishes with a delicious lunch from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop.
All equipment, food and drink throughout the day is provided. You’re welcome to bring your own yoga mat, if you prefer.
This session is suitable for all levels and experience!
Sunday 11th October
9:40am-4:00pm
Lunch, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
Join us for the next in a year-long series of Five Element retreat days, gentle, grounding experiences rooted in the ancient wisdom of the seasons and designed to nourish body, mind, and spirit. In the quiet turning of early autumn, we explore the Metal Element, the energy of breath, letting go, and refinement.
Through the lens of LifeForce Qigong, this retreat offers a soulful invitation to clear, centre, and reconnect. You’ll be guided through two distinct yet complementary sessions.
Jing (Essence & Physical Vitality).
What to expect from the morning session:
Gentle joint-opening exercises to awaken and energise the body.
Foundation LifeForce Qigong movements to build strength and resilience.
Microcosmic Orbit breathing to cultivate inner harmony.
Patting and dredging techniques to clear and invigorate energy pathways.
Qi (Emotional Flow & Elemental Integration).
What to expect from the afternoon session:
Fire Element Spirit practice to nurture Metal and Lung energy.
5 Element organ activation - awaken and align all 5 elements.
Guided meditations for emotional healing and integration.
Outdoor practice (weather permitting) to connect with nature.
A delicious light lunch from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop will be served, utilising fresh, seasonal ingredients to nourish the body and support our practice.
This day is open to all. No experience necessary, just a willingness to move, breathe, and be present.
What to bring:
Wear comfortable, layered clothing to accommodate temperature changes
What you will take away:
Reconnect with yourself, the season, and the energy of nature in this unique seasonal Qigong retreat day.
All equipment, food and and drink throughout the day is provided.
This workshop will be hosted within our beautiful Conservatory space.
Sunday 18th October
10am - 12pm
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
A fungal foray with a true expert.
Join renowned naturalist and foraging expert David Winnard for a leisurely stroll through the grounds of Hawarden Estate to explore the world of mushrooms and other fungi. During this walk you will learn:
How mushrooms and fungi work.
Why they are important.
How they fit into the ecosystem.
How we go about identifying different species.
We will look for a variety of species in different habitats and, where appropriate, discuss edible, poisonous and medicinal species.
“From Hairy Curtain Crust to Turkeytail, Shaggy Parasol to Oakbug Milkcap, the world of mushrooms and other fungi await us to discover them in a beautiful setting.”
Saturday 24th October
5:30pm - 8pm
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
In amongst the stunning setting of the Hawarden estate, around the Old Castle, the old woods and the meadows are some wonderful wildflowers that call this area home. From the beautiful to the sublime we will explore the grounds at dusk to discover what emerges as it gets dark.
This event will be a gentle stroll around some of the more hidden parts of the estate with the aim to totally immerse ourselves in the pleasure of the estate at dusk.
Friday 13th November
9:45am-3:00pm
Lunch, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
“Workshops like this can be more explanatory and give you an opportunity to repeat, learn, understand and implement for your own, individual body’s benefit. These key tools and techniques can help you progress in your practice faster.” - Emma Garland
This Yoga Workshop will specifically help you to understand your body better and prioritise your focus in terms of which muscles to build strength and which to stretch more. This better balance of the body’s muscles creates longevity, better posture and reduces the risk of injuries, as well as unknown aches and pains that show up as we age.
The Workshop will explore some of the traditional yoga postures (whether you’re familiar or not) where we’ll explore variations of each. Adding subtle adjustments to feel much more than we might usually. Here we’ll get a deeper understanding of which muscles we should stretch more and which we should actually strengthen, to allow the opposite muscles to stretch properly.
This workshop session is suitable for everyone, including beginners; with guided instructions to help you switch on some of those smaller, underused muscles within the body and start to ease some of the muscular pain you may experience, particularly around those tighter areas of the body, like neck and shoulders, back, hamstrings, hips and belly.
We will work with the breath and provide a deeper feeling of engagement and resistance within your body to build heat and strength in the body without necessarily moving fast.
All equipment, food and drink throughout the day is provided. You’re welcome to bring your own yoga mat, if you prefer.
This session is suitable for all levels and experience!
Saturday 21st November
10am - 12pm
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
A fungal foray with a true expert.
Join renowned naturalist and foraging expert David Winnard for a leisurely stroll through the grounds of Hawarden Estate to explore the world of mushrooms and other fungi. During this walk you will learn:
How mushrooms and fungi work.
Why they are important.
How they fit into the ecosystem.
How we go about identifying different species.
We will look for a variety of species in different habitats and, where appropriate, discuss edible, poisonous and medicinal species.
“During winter we see more medicinal types of fungi on the estate. From Hairy Curtain Crust to Turkeytail, Shaggy Parasol to Oakbug Milkcap, the world of mushrooms and other fungi await us to discover them in a beautiful setting.”
Sunday 6th December
9:40am-4:00pm
Lunch, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
A Winter Retreat of Rest, Renewal & Resilience, Honouring the Water Element
As the year draws inward and the stillness of winter settles in, join us for the final gathering in a seasonal series of Five Element retreats. These nourishing, mindful days offer space to move, breathe, and reconnect in rhythm with the turning year and the energy of the elements.
Our focus for this final retreat is the Water Element — the deep reservoir of life-force, rest, and wisdom. In traditional practice, this element relates to the kidneys, and the gentle cultivation of resilience in the face of fear, anxiety, and exhaustion.
Jing (Essence & Physical Vitality).
What to expect from the morning session:
Gentle joint-opening exercises to awaken and energise the body.
Foundation LifeForce Qigong movements to build strength and resilience.
Microcosmic Orbit breathing to cultivate inner harmony.
Patting and dredging techniques to clear and invigorate energy pathways.
Qi (Emotional Flow & Elemental Integration).
What to expect from the afternoon session:
The energetic body, working with the Five Element organs and taking time to focus on the Water Element.
Five Element organ activation - awaken and align all five elements.
Guided meditations for emotional healing and integration.
Outdoor practice (weather permitting) to connect with nature.
A delicious light lunch from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop will be served, utilising fresh, seasonal ingredients to nourish the body and support our practice.
This day is open to all. No experience necessary, just a willingness to move, breathe, and be present.
What to bring:
Wear comfortable, layered clothing to accommodate temperature changes
What you will take away:
Reconnect with yourself, the season, and the energy of nature in this unique seasonal Qigong retreat day.
All equipment, food and and drink throughout the day is provided.
This workshop will be hosted within our beautiful Conservatory space.
Friday 18th December
9:45am-2:00pm
Lunch, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
“Time spent outdoors in nature can be a great way to boost the mind and body, as well as the nervous and immune system. Experiencing natural sunlight can also boost your mood and productivity!” - Emma Garland
This wellbeing day is designed to give you space to connect back to yourself, to your body and to create a space for your mind to be a little quieter. We all have busy lives with stresses and worries that eat into our lives and increase pressure and stresses that we often hold in the body.
This is a relaxed, restorative day for you to take much needed time out for yourself with no expectation or knowledge required. We encourage you to go at your own pace and to join in as much or as little as you like.
The day includes a gentle stroll through the gardens of Hawarden Estate, up to the Old Castle for breathwork, followed by a hot drink back at the Conservatory. We’ll roll out our mats, move slowly, mindfully and connect to our body with the breath. We usually finish with a restorative relaxation to rest the body fully. The day finishes with a delicious lunch from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop.
All equipment, food and drink throughout the day is provided. You’re welcome to bring your own yoga mat, if you prefer.
This session is suitable for all levels and experience!
Friday 15th January
9:45am-2:00pm
Lunch, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
This workshop is suitable for everyone, including beginners; with guided instructions and techniques to help you gain a better understanding of how hot / cold therapy affects your body.
During this workshop you will:
Learn how to safely go into and out of upward-facing dog.
Learn how to safely find the right up dog posture, for your body type.
Learn other heart-opening yoga postures and understand what you’re trying to achieve in each.
Have the opportunity to have your postures checked for safety, taking into account any injuries.
For our winter series, we will finish the practice with an hour’s guided group session of hot and cold therapy, using our sauna and cold plunge. Our sauna comfortably holds six, so we will rotate the group around.
We welcome everyone from first-timers to experienced cold plungers, and we are here to support you!
As your guide, Emma Garland AKA The Good Food Yogi, puts it:
“Workshops can be more explanatory and give you an opportunity to repeat, learn, understand and implement for your own, individual body’s benefit. These key tools and techniques can help you progress in your practice faster.”
Good to know:
All equipment, food and drink throughout the day is provided.
You are welcome to bring your own mat, if you prefer.
For the sauna and cold plunge, please bring a swimming costume and a towel.
We have proper on-site loos with hot showers to wrap up warm post-session.
Yoga sessions take place within our heated indoor Conservatory during the winter months.
Suitable for all levels!
Friday 26th February
9:45am-2:00pm
Lunch, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
This workshop is suitable for everyone, including beginners; with guided instructions and techniques to help you gain a better understanding of how hot / cold therapy affects your body.
During this workshop you will:
Learn how to safely go into and out of upward-facing dog.
Learn how to safely find the right up dog posture, for your body type.
Learn other heart-opening yoga postures and understand what you’re trying to achieve in each.
Have the opportunity to have your postures checked for safety, taking into account any injuries.
For our winter series, we will finish the practice with an hour’s guided group session of hot and cold therapy, using our sauna and cold plunge. Our sauna comfortably holds six, so we will rotate the group around.
We welcome everyone from first-timers to experienced cold plungers, and we are here to support you!
As your guide, Emma Garland AKA The Good Food Yogi, puts it:
“Workshops can be more explanatory and give you an opportunity to repeat, learn, understand and implement for your own, individual body’s benefit. These key tools and techniques can help you progress in your practice faster.”
Good to know:
All equipment, food and drink throughout the day is provided.
You are welcome to bring your own mat, if you prefer.
For the sauna and cold plunge, please bring a swimming costume and a towel.
We have proper on-site loos with hot showers to wrap up warm post-session.
Yoga sessions take place within our heated indoor Conservatory during the winter months.
Suitable for all levels!
Saturday 27th February
10am - 12pm
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
If you have ever wondered how you identify a birch from a beech or an oak from a sycamore then this will be a great place to start.
Hawarden Estate is home to some stunning trees, with a wonderful selection of native trees as well as some interesting specimens from all corners of the globe. Our walk around the grounds will encounter many of these fascinating plants and we will explore some of the mythology and folklore around some of the species as well as delve into how to identify some of our more common species.
We will explore how other species interact with trees, like fungi and lichens, as well as take in the reasons why some cultures have a strong relationship with Yew Trees, why Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread, why burning Elder wood may not be wisest of ideas and why Ash trees are having a really hard time at the moment.
Whilst many people think you need to see the leaves of a tree to identify them, it just isn’t the case, with the leaves off the trees in winter you get to see more of their form and use other identification features such as bark, buds and habit to get to know them.
Our walk around the grounds of this historic and beautiful estate will leave you with a new appreciation of trees as well as seeing some of the best examples of some species in this part of North Wales.
Friday 19th March
9:45am-2:00pm
Lunch, snacks and unlimited tea and coffee included.
This workshop is suitable for everyone, including beginners; with guided instructions and techniques to help you gain a better understanding of how hot / cold therapy affects your body.
During this workshop you will:
Learn how to safely go into and out of upward-facing dog.
Learn how to safely find the right up dog posture, for your body type.
Learn other heart-opening yoga postures and understand what you’re trying to achieve in each.
Have the opportunity to have your postures checked for safety, taking into account any injuries.
For our winter series, we will finish the practice with an hour’s guided group session of hot and cold therapy, using our sauna and cold plunge. Our sauna comfortably holds six, so we will rotate the group around.
We welcome everyone from first-timers to experienced cold plungers, and we are here to support you!
As your guide, Emma Garland AKA The Good Food Yogi, puts it:
“Workshops can be more explanatory and give you an opportunity to repeat, learn, understand and implement for your own, individual body’s benefit. These key tools and techniques can help you progress in your practice faster.”
Good to know:
All equipment, food and drink throughout the day is provided.
You are welcome to bring your own mat, if you prefer.
For the sauna and cold plunge, please bring a swimming costume and a towel.
We have proper on-site loos with hot showers to wrap up warm post-session.
Yoga sessions take place within our heated indoor Conservatory during the winter months.
Suitable for all levels!
Saturday 10th April
10am - 12pm
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
Join local nature expert David Winnard on a guided foraging walk around Hawarden Estate.
This event is an ideal introduction to foraging, but will also be a great session for more experienced foragers, too. David will guide you into how to safely and sustainably forage for some of the commoner species of plants (and maybe some fungi) in the spring. We will be looking at a variety of species, learning about their habits, how to identify them as well as understanding which might be edible, medicinal or even poisonous.
At this time of year, the countryside comes alive with spring flowers and foliage. During the event you will get to grips with some common species like Nettle and Dandelion, but also a range of plants that you may never have used before. You will be able to try some plants (should you wish) - you can literally graze on some wonderful wild plants as we walk through the estate.
Take home some key facts and inspiration to take you forward into an abundant spring and summer.
Sunday 25th April
10am - 12pm
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
Join local nature expert David Winnard on a guided foraging walk around Hawarden Estate.
This event is an ideal introduction to foraging, but will also be a great session for more experienced foragers, too. David will guide you into how to safely and sustainably forage for some of the commoner species of plants (and maybe some fungi) in the spring. We will be looking at a variety of species, learning about their habits, how to identify them as well as understanding which might be edible, medicinal or even poisonous.
At this time of year, the countryside comes alive with spring flowers and foliage. During the event you will get to grips with some common species like Nettle and Dandelion, but also a range of plants that you may never have used before. You will be able to try some plants (should you wish) - you can literally graze on some wonderful wild plants as we walk through the estate.
Take home some key facts and inspiration to take you forward into an abundant spring and summer.
Saturday 15th May
8am - 10am
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
The grounds are the home of some wonderful bird species such as both the Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Treecreeper as well as Sparrowhawks, Tawny Owls and Buzzard.
During this morning walk across Hawarden Estate we’ll be looking at how to identify a variety of species that occur on this great estate. We’ll do this both visually as well as learning some of the bird songs and calls we encounter on our walk. This will be a relaxed walk and birdwatch through garden, open countryside and some woodland as we look to encounter a wide array of species.
If you have ever wanted to learn how to identify the commoner species of bird but did not know where to start, or you’re interested in which bird species are on the estate, then this is the event for you!
Saturday 19th June
10am - 12pm
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
This is the kind of walk where you set off not knowing what you may discover and come back with an experience of seeing nature in all its glory, at a beautiful time of year, in a stunning setting.
Join us for a pleasant stroll through the grounds of the historic Hawarden Estate to encounter a variety of interesting wild species that call Hawarden home. From birds and insects to plants and mammals, we will seek out some of the wonderful wildlife of the summer months.
On this walk we will see how different species fit into the landscape and the overall ecosystem, from understanding how a single flower species can be host to a variety of insects and fungi, to looking for evidence of what birds have been breeding.
Whilst this walk does not focus on one particular group of wildlife, it allows us to follow nature’s lead; if we find an interesting butterfly we will look at that, if we see some signs of mammals, we will work out what they were, if we discover a new wildflower for the estate then we will appreciate that. We let nature dictate what we discover (with a little help and instruction from your friendly nature guide, David).
Saturday 24th July
10am - 12pm
Your ticket includes a snack from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, plus tea or filter coffee on arrival.
The wildflowers of Hawarden Estate.
In amongst the stunning setting of the Hawarden estate, around the Old Castle, the old woods and the meadows are some wonderful wildflowers that call this area home. From the beautiful to the sublime we will explore the grounds to discover some of the best wildflowers that Hawarden has to offer.
From natives to aliens we will learn how to identify some of the commoner species as well as learn about their history, folklore and place in the eco-system. We will even take in a few of the interesting 'weeds' from the formal planting (but don't tell the gardener, he won't appreciate us looking at the more interesting 'weeds'!).
This event will be a gentle stroll around some of the more hidden parts of the estate with the aim to totally immerse ourselves in the pleasure of the summer wildflowers.
Good for use on events, food and drink, products and holidays at Hawarden Estate.
Can be used on any of the Hawarden Estate company websites:
www.thewalledgardenschool.co.uk
www.hawardenestateholidays.co.uk
www.hawardenestate.co.uk
www.thegoodlifesociety.co.uk
When purchasing, you can choose between a physical gift voucher to be sent either to you or directly to the recipient or alternatively you can pick up the gift voucher from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop.
There’s space for a short message and personalisation if you’d like to add one. When they’re ready, the owner of the gift card can then use it against the value of anything we do in Hawarden, a meal at The Farm Shop or The Glynne Arms, products from the shop, a stay, an event or a Walled Garden School class.
Terms and Conditions
This voucher is not redeemable for cash and unfortunately no change can be given – it should therefore be used in a single purchase. This card is valid for 12 months from the day of purchase and we are not responsible for any lost, damaged or stolen cards and no replacement will be given in these instances. If you have any questions, please email accounts@hawardenestate.co.uk and we will be happy to assist you.
Upcoming Events
All of our courses are deeply educational, fun and accessible. We have new and different classes each month, for adults and children.
Learn new skills from the very best. For professionals and beginners alike.
Be guided by true experts and go home with skills that’ll last a lifetime.
Unwind in the peaceful and idyllic surroundings of the Walled Garden.
Engaging, exciting and fun sessions in the great outdoors.
From mushroom foraging to bird watching on this historic estate.
Featured Workshops
Education for all!
What do you want to learn?
The Location
Join us at the Walled Garden School on the Hawarden Estate in North Wales.
Good for use on events, food and drink, products and holidays at Hawarden Estate.
Can be used on any of the Hawarden Estate company websites:
www.thewalledgardenschool.co.uk
www.hawardenestateholidays.co.uk
www.hawardenestate.co.uk
www.thegoodlifesociety.co.uk
When purchasing, you can choose between a physical gift voucher to be sent either to you or directly to the recipient or alternatively you can pick up the gift voucher from Hawarden Estate Farm Shop.
There’s space for a short message and personalisation if you’d like to add one. When they’re ready, the owner of the gift card can then use it against the value of anything we do in Hawarden, a meal at The Farm Shop or The Glynne Arms, products from the shop, a stay, an event or a Walled Garden School class.
Terms and Conditions
This voucher is not redeemable for cash and unfortunately no change can be given – it should therefore be used in a single purchase. This card is valid for 12 months from the day of purchase and we are not responsible for any lost, damaged or stolen cards and no replacement will be given in these instances. If you have any questions, please email accounts@hawardenestate.co.uk and we will be happy to assist you.
You are welcome, whatever your level of knowledge or skill set. Our supportive tutors are the most knowledgeable and friendly people we know.
Private, design-led, luxury accommodation with incredible experiences attached
Multiple dates
Various time slots
Drinking water and herbal tea available
Join a communal session, or book all x4 spots per session for private use.
This is your invitation to visit our wood-fired sauna in the heart of our Walled Garden. Take time to slow down and breathe whilst taking in the breathtaking scenery around you.
The sauna fits up to 5 people comfortably, but we limit the number of people to 4 in our communal sessions to give everybody more space.
Sessions are 50 minutes.
Please note: if fewer than x4 spots are available, the session is communal.