A slice of heaven

Casa Danielle has been a holiday home since my childhood. It harbours many memories and especially connects me to my mother. When she bought the place, in the late 70’s, it was a modest hillside cottage with a dramatic view. By the mid-80s, my mother had transformed it into a rather magnificent villa and named it after me. As a teenager, I was mortified but now I am proud to be associated with this wonderful place.

A few years ago, I began to think about how Casa Danielle could become more than a holiday get-away. I had seen on numerous occasions how friends I sent there, at low points in their lives, invariably returned renewed and re-ignited with a zest for life.

I knew I had a special spot and so began exploring ideas for expanding the space in an eco-friendly way, to bring people together for well-being and creativity. And one thing I definitely knew was that I wanted to have a yurt. After spending a magical night in one listening to poetry, I had become smitten with the energy of that space.

By a great stroke of luck, I found some talented wood experts from the Forest of Dean who knew how to build yurts. They turned my dream into reality in 2017.   Not only did they build me a majestic 30ft diameter yurt but they enhanced my vision even further. Perched on a wooden deck, below the villa, the yurt now stands next to a stunningly crafted wooden eco-hut, housing compost loos and a solar shower. These structures are linked by decked areas that have been built in a terraced fashion up the slope towards the main house area, integrating recently created spaces such as the massage cabin and the sauna room.  The effect is enticing. The land and nature around the villa have become inviting and accessible and the decks provide multiple platforms for enjoying the breathtaking views of the surrounding hills and Atlantic coastline. Yes, to the power of decks to transform!

Once the works were completed, Casa Danielle was ready to come into its own as a heavenly venue to run retreats of all kinds. In March 2018 , with a few friends, I  ran the first-ever 5 day retreat. The experience surpassed all expectations. The rave reviews we got reaffirmed my conviction that Casa Danielle is truly a place to find inner peace, forge friendships and achieve positive transformation.

This website invites you to explore what Casa Danielle offers. It is available to rent as either a fantastic holiday get-away to share with friends and family or can work to run boutique retreat events, whether that be a creative writing/photography holiday, a yoga/detox break, a music-making workshop,or anything else that needs a setting to unwind, regenerate and become inspired.