For published authors & writing teachers
A Writing Retreat Venue for Authors Running Craft Intensives
A workshop barn for the morning craft session, private rooms for the afternoon writing block, and a long table for the read-arounds after dinner.
In short
Mornings to teach. Afternoons to write. Evenings to read each other’s work.
A rhythm the venue is shaped to hold — for groups of eight to twelve students.
A workshop barn that doubles as a quiet writing room
The Hay House practice barn is sixty-five square metres of heated wooden floor with a sound system, dimmable light, and space for a circle of twelve. It works for the craft session, the read-around, and the kind of long writing block where students prefer not to be alone.
Between sessions you have private rooms in Horizon and the Cosmos cabin for solitary work. Most retreats run a 9 AM craft session, a 10 AM-to-1 PM writing block, and the barn opens again at 6 PM for the evening read-around.
Private rooms for the afternoons that need to be quiet
Horizon, the converted hay barn, sleeps eleven to fourteen in a mix of single, twin, and shared rooms. The Cosmos cabin gives the lead author a private wooden cabin with woodstove and writing desk by a window.
Each room has space for a working laptop and a notebook. A few have window seats. None of them face a corridor that other students walk past during the writing block.
A long table for the evening read-around
The Horizon dining room seats fourteen at a single long table. Most writing retreats use it for both meals and read-arounds — students bring three pages, the room reads, you guide the response. The acoustics carry a low voice without effort.
After the read-around, the fire circle is twenty steps from the door. Some retreats use it for the more honest second-round of feedback that does not happen indoors.
Why The Makers Barn
8–12
Students per cohort — the size most craft retreats are built around
4–10
Days — long enough for two drafts, short enough to keep the rhythm
14
Beds across Horizon and Cosmos for the cohort and the lead author
A sample writing-retreat day
A rhythm several visiting authors have used here. Yours can be different — the rooms hold both shapes.
- 08:00Slow breakfast on the terrace
- 09:00Craft session in the Hay House
- 10:30Long writing block — private rooms or the barn
- 13:00Lunch (we keep it light, you keep writing if you want)
- 14:30One-to-one tutorials with the lead author
- 17:00Walk, sauna, or pond
- 19:00Long dinner at the shared table
- 20:30Read-around — three pages each, the room responds
Questions worth asking
Can the lead author have a private cabin?
Yes — the Cosmos cabin is private, separate from Horizon by a short walk, and includes a writing desk and woodstove. Most visiting authors take it.
Is the venue ours alone for the duration?
Yes — full venue buyout. No other groups, no other guests walking through the workshop barn at 11 AM.
Can students bring laptops? Is there reliable wifi?
Yes. Fibre internet covers the whole farm. Some authors prefer to make the workshop barn a no-screen space — we are happy to enforce that as a soft house rule for the retreat.
Do you handle catering and dietary needs?
Yes. We work with local cooks who do retreat catering for groups of fourteen — vegetarian, vegan, and most allergies handled cleanly. Send us the dietary list at booking and it will be ready.
Planning the timeline?
Use our free 12-month launch calendar to plan phases, milestones, and the realistic timeline that actually works.
Open the launch calendarSpot the mistakes before you sign
Run the 25 most common retreat-host mistakes against your plan. 5 minutes, no signup, personalised risk report.
Take the 5-minute auditBring your craft retreat to a venue that is shaped for it
Tell us your dates, your cohort size, and how many days you would like. We will come back with availability and a tailored quote within two working days.