For circle facilitators
A Held Venue for Circle Retreats — Women’s, Men’s & Mixed
A fire circle for the evening work, a hay barn for the morning sit, and a 1.3-hectare farm for the walks between.
In short
A fire pit, a barn, and the privacy that circle work asks for.
Full venue buyout, no other guests, fields out the door for the long walks the work creates.
A fire circle that does not have to be shared
Most circle retreats use the fire circle as the centre of the work. Ours is built into the field, twenty steps from the practice barn, with logs that seat fifteen and a wood store that we keep filled. The fire is yours from sundown to whenever you call it.
No other groups can hear it. No staff member walks through. The closest neighbour is well out of earshot. What is said in the circle stays in the circle.
A barn for the morning work — soft floor, soft light
The Hay House barn holds a circle of fifteen comfortably. Heated wooden floor, dimmable light, sound system if you want one, full silence if you do not. We can lay out cushions for floor work or chairs for chair work the night before.
Most circle retreats run a morning session in the barn, an afternoon walk on the land, and an evening fire circle. The venue is shaped to make that rhythm easy.
For the kind of work that needs solitude between rounds
After a heavy circle, what people often need is to walk alone. Twelve hundred trees we planted ourselves, a swimming pond, a teahouse with a single chair facing the window, paths that loop back to the house without crossing.
The work the room does, the land continues. Many facilitators tell us this is what makes their three-day retreat feel like a five-day one.
Why The Makers Barn
15
Comfortable circle size — barn and fire pit both built around it
20
Steps from the practice barn to the fire circle
0
Other guests during your retreat — full buyout always
Questions worth asking
Do you accommodate gender-specific retreats?
Yes — many of our circle bookings are women-only or men-only. Full venue buyout means the space genuinely is just for your group, including bathrooms and shared areas.
How late can the fire circle run?
The fire is yours through the night if needed. We ask that loud singing or drumming respects rural neighbour courtesies after 23:00, but our nearest neighbour is well out of earshot for normal circle work.
Do you provide ritual or ceremonial supplies?
Firewood and fire-starting supplies, yes. Specific ritual items — herbs, drums, cloths, ceremonial objects — most facilitators bring their own. Tell us what you need and we will tell you honestly what we can source locally.
Can we host a sweat lodge or similar deeper ceremonial form?
For sweat-lodge or similar work, please ask us at booking. We have hosted some forms and not others — we are honest about what fits the venue and what does not.
Bring your circle to a place that knows how to hold one
Tell us your group size, your dates, and what shape your circle takes. We will come back honestly about whether the venue fits and what your participants can expect.