Join us for our third creative retreat in Britain’s beautiful New Forest an hour and half southwest of London with artists Mandy Pattullo and Anna Corba. The retreat begins in historic Richmond-upon-Thames in southwest London where we’ll stay for one night at the 4 star hotel, The Petersham, located by the river Thames and close to Richmond Park. Our first dinner together will be at a restaurant in central Richmond and the following morning we visit Petersham Nurseries for a delicious lunch and shopping for antiques and other treasures.
We leave London on Friday afternoon for the New Forest on Friday afternoon, a 150 square mile area of heath and ancient woodland and the 12th century royal hunting ground of William I. We stop en route to visit historic Mottisfont Abbey where you can see the fabulous walled gardens and the extraordinary interior painted by artist Rex Whistler. We’ll arrive in time for pre-dinner drinks at Heathfield House, the Georgian manor house that will be your home from home for the next seven nights. This comfortable and elegant house has beautifully designed bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and a 15-acre estate of private gardens and fields.
Textile artist Mandy Pattullo and paper artist Anna Corba will offer daily classes. Mandy is a British artist, with an international reputation who uses tattered and worn fabrics to create works of art. During the week you’ll learn the techniques and processes behind Mandy’s signature style and how old quilts are unpicked, cut up and darned, then layered and hand-stitched in place with embroidery and appliqué. Well-worn books, music scores, postcards, ribbons and lace are US artist Anna Corba’s stock in trade and she will show you how these simple materials can be transformed into handbound journals, tags and ornaments, as well as lavender sachets and sewn notions.
We plan to visit the nearby colourful coastal town of Lymington an ancient seaport town recorded in the Domesday Book to shop in the High Street’s independent and boutique shops or walk along the coast to Lymington's Nature Reserve. We’ll also take other trips out in the local area, scouting out antiques when possible.
Our private chef Sarah Richardson will be on hand during the week to prepare delicious meals using fresh, local ingredients. We’ll have two lunches out, one at a typical British pub and the other at a local restaurant acclaimed for its food. We return to London a week later for our farewell dinner at a super restaurant overlooking the River Thames in Richmond and a final overnight at the Richmond Hill hotel.