Venue of the Week: Wilderness

Leaving the office after a week’s work, heading to Liverpool Street and hopping on a two-hour train journey to North-East Suffolk isn’t exactly what I picture as the ideal winter Friday night. Cold, tired and with the feeling of flu (Not man flu, that doesn’t exist) creeping in, sitting among commuters heading to a corner of the UK I’ve never been before to a place literally called Wilderness, they were going to have to work overtime to lift my grumpy spirits.

The stakes were high, the pressure was on, and they delivered far beyond my expectations.

Arriving at the sleepy station of Darsham, the sun long set, we were welcomed by a chauffeur and a classic Rolls-Royce and travelled to the Wilderness Estate in absolute style. The reserve itself is a whopping 5,000 acres of land interspersed with country houses, cottages, barns and farmhouses, updated but preserved for an authentic old-world feeling. The name may conjure up images of camping in the woods, but what we found was much more than just a couple of tents and a scout hut.

Staying at the retreat’s oldest property, the Farmhouse, with a small group of other writers, we were greeted by the comforting smells of delicately prepared food and a burning log fire. We were catered for intently but not intrusively by cooks and cleaners, and it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the sense of luxury on display. The extra attention is an optional addition, however, and you can spend your entire stay without coming into contact with another soul. For bosses and those looking to completely turn off from their busy technology-driven lives, the estate even offers an electricity-free cottage.

It was very clear that this isn’t your average corporate hospitality experience; all accommodation and each room has its own unique flavour, personality and history that made it unlike anything I have ever seen available for businesses. There are both smaller venues and larger meetings spaces to book out, meaning companies have just as many options for intimate exercises as they do for larger group activities, and the outdoor space available is ideal for practically anything that takes up less than 5,000 acres.

The verdict
What I found key to the experience was simply the space. Within built-up areas like London you have to really search to find any sort of space at all, and walking through the fresh air and natural wildlife at Wilderness is like stepping out of time. It’s very easy to find yourself caught up in the day-to-day stress of modern life, and taking your employees outside of this environment to a place totally different yet intimately familiar can make a big difference.

For more information, you can visit their homepage. Interested in visiting or not for you? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.