sketching @ Kelmscott manor
A sketching retreat in the Cotswolds, inspired by the life and work of William Morris
Date: Fri 7th - Sun 9th May 2027
Deposit: £100 to secure your space
Spend a long weekend slowing down into pattern, colour and craft, in the gentle Cotswold countryside William Morris himself called home. Based at Stratton House Hotel on the edge of Cirencester, this retreat combines relaxed studio sketching with a full day exploring Kelmscott Manor, Morris's own house, its rooms still filled with the textiles, wallpapers and objects that shaped the Arts and Crafts movement.
Using a mindful, observational approach, we'll spend the weekend looking closely, sketching freely and letting Morris's world of pattern and nature feed our own sketchbooks.
**BOOKINGS OPEN NOW**
Connect with the work of William morris
the weekend at a glance
Here's how the weekend unfolds, from Friday afternoon through to Sunday.
Friday afternoon — settling in
We'll arrive at Stratton House Hotel and spend the afternoon sketching together in the studio and learning a little bit about our inspiration for the weekend - William Morris. This is a gentle warm-up and welcome session to settle into the weekend.
Saturday — a day with William Morris
A full day at Kelmscott Manor, Morris's much-loved Cotswold home. We'll sketch the house, its gardens and the pattern and detail throughout the collection, taking our time to really look and understand his work and the Arts and Crafts movement.
Sunday — back to the studio
A day in the studio developing the sketches and studies gathered at Kelmscott into finished sketchbook pages, pulling the weekend's colour and pattern together.
The home of william morris
Discover the wonder of Kelmscott Manor
William Morris (1834–1896) was the designer, writer and craftsman behind the Arts and Crafts movement, best known for the pattern-filled wallpapers and textiles he drew from the natural world around him.
Kelmscott Manor, his country home from 1871 until his death, is the Cotswold farmhouse he once called "heaven on earth". Its unspoilt rooms and walled garden inspired his work for the rest of his life, and today they still hold the furniture, textiles and objects the Morris family lived among, giving us a rare chance to sketch pattern and detail in the very setting that shaped it.
what people are saying...
This is the feeling retreat guests come away with time and again: inspired, thoroughly rested, and often having made friends who feel like they've known them for years.
sketching with confidence
endless inspiration from the natural world
William Morris found endless inspiration in the natural world around him, turning close observation of leaves, birds and growing things into the patterns he's still remembered for. This retreat takes that same starting point: over the weekend, you'll look closely at nature the way Morris did, and use that looking to build real confidence in your own sketchbook practice, rooted in self-expression, curiosity and joyful exploration.
Sessions take place both at Kelmscott Manor and back at our weekend home, Stratton House Hotel, giving you space to sketch in the studio and out among the detail that inspired Morris himself.
After the retreat you'll come away inspired and creatively full, with pages of sketches and ideas for what to keep exploring once you're home. Not to mention happy memories of sharing the experience with other keen sketchers.
Date and time
Fri 7th May 2027, 3pm – Sun 9th May 2027, 5pm
a peaceful stay
the Stratton house Hotel
I am delighted to host this retreat in The Stratton House Hotel in Cirencester, in the Cotswolds in the UK.
Accommodation at the hotel is an optional extra and you can either stay locally, or enjoy the hotel and spa facilities for the duration of the retreat. The B&B accommodation will enable you to relax and enjoy your stay. No chores to worry about, you can focus on your creativity, sketching and relaxing.
This truly is a sketching experience with a difference.
Accommodation is flexible and optional to give retreat guests the option to travel in each days to stay two nights, three nights or take a whole week away! (More details below)
Venue Address
Stratton House Hotel & Spa, Stratton, Cirencester, GL7 2LE
Sketching william morris
pricing
** BOOKINGS NOW OPEN **
£600 per person
Includes all materials, tuition, trip to Kelmscott Manor, meals as described, and refreshments.
💡 Inspire Members save £50 – just £550
Deposit: £100 to secure your spot
Balance: £200 by 01 Dec 2026, then final £300 by 01 Feb 2027
(£250 for Inspire Members)
Accommodation is an optional extra as some people may choose to stay elsewhere, drive over each day from home OR stay for 2 nights or more.
Double / Twin Rooms @ £200 per room per night. Double rooms for Single occupancy @ £180 per room per night. Board Basis: Bed & Breakfast. Once your deposit has been made you can book accommodation with the hotel (we will email you the details for booking).
take time to sketch
Immerse yourself in your creativity
What to Expect
Creative sessions that include guidance from me (Susan Yeates) in sketching on location at Kelmscott Manor plus in the studio.
Learn to observe and appreciate details in nature, shapes and forms in the way that William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement did. Play with mixing materials in a relaxed way.
Understand how to trust your intuition and fall in love with sketching again.
RETREAT INCLUDES
🖼️ 3 days of creative teaching and inspiration
🪴 A guided sketching trip at Kelmscott Manor (entry + lunch included)
🧘♀️ Mindful warm-ups and observational sketching techniques
🎨 Use of a range of materials (provided)
👩🎨 Tuition and guidance from Susan Yeates, artist and author
🍽️ Two-course dinners on Friday and Saturday
☕ Teas, coffees, Sat & Sun lunch
💬 Connection with like-minded sketchers
NOT INCLUDED IN RETREAT
Accomodation is not included in the retreat price. This is separately quoted so that guests can select how many nights they want to stay or travel in each day. It also gives flexibility to bring a partner or friend to stay at the hotel. Accomodation is B&B
Additional excursions
Insurance
Alcoholic drinks
Items of a personal nature/souvenirs
A glorious weekend of Sketching
Embrace nature and creativity
This sketching retreat is located in the beautiful Cotswolds, based at Stratton House Hotel on the edge of Cirencester. The hotel's own spa is there too, ready for you to relax and unwind between sessions.
No chores to worry about, you can focus on your creativity, sketching and relaxing. This truly is a sketching experience with a difference.
Meet like-minded people who also enjoy sketching. Share in a creative experience, immersing yourself in your sketchbook. You'll be in a small group, creating together and enjoying downtime, with many people making wonderful new friends, sharing sketching tips and getting to geek out on new materials. Many retreat attendees book on their own but instantly connect with the group.
"There's a part of me that comes to life when I make art, and it's my favourite part of me. These retreats allow me to indulge and nurture that part - and it feels wonderful." Jenny Bacon, May 2025
Artist, author and online educator
Meet your host - Susan Yeates
I teach aspiring sketchers, doodlers and dabblers how to live more creatively, re-discover their inner artist, and build confidence in their sketchbooks. I am especially excited by this sketching retreat and the ability to take a group to The Cotswolds and dive deep into the work of William Morris.
I’ve worked as a successful professional artist for over 15 years, authored 6 art books including Sketchbook Challenge: 100 Prompts for Daily Drawing, spoken at TedX Woking, been featured on HobbyMaker TV, created over 35 online courses, and taught thousands of aspiring artists sketching and drawing techniques through my membership, retreats and online courses.
Like a deep breath of fresh air, sketching for fun and creative play, offers a moment of calm in a hectic world.
" Thank you susan for providing a thoroughly enjoyable weekend away from 'normality' - a bit of dedicated 'me-time.'" - Sarah Lewis, 2025
What we get up to
Previous retreats
Here are some examples of previous retreats I have hosted.
Sketching eden - cornwall, May 2026
In this long-weekend down in Cornwall guests joined me to be inspired by the wonderful Eden Project. Based at the Cornwall Hotel and Spa, we sketched from plants and nature the whole weekend. Saturday was a day trip to the Eden Project with a full tour of the Mediterranean Biome and an afternoon of sketching on location. We laughed, we printed leaves, we sketched terracotta pots and truly enjoyed ourselves as a group. It was a refreshing and beautful weekend not to be forgotten.
Ciao Bella - Tuscany, Italy, Sept 2025
In this week-long sketching and painting retreat I collaborated with US artist Missy Tripp Ronquillo to create a luxurious week in Italy exploring the beautiful countryside around Tuscany. This retreat invited art journal enthusiasts and creative adventurers to capture the moment and fill their sketchbooks with studies created in location looking across the rolling Tuscan countryside - filled with Italian cypress and grape vines. We even sneaked in a trip to Florence, yoga, meditation and a private wine tasting tour.
Expressive Botanicals - worcs, may 2025
This weekend sketching retreat was hosted i the beautiful WoodNorton Hotel in Evesham in Worcestershire. Throughout the weekend we spent time sketching locally sourced flowers and leaves in a variety of mediums. From line drawings in pencil to oil pastels, leaf printing and watercolour leaf shapes, we experimented and tried it all! We even managed a spot of outdoor sketching in the hotel grounds. This was a really uplifting weekend of expressive sketching, laughter and plenty of good food!
Sketching the New Forest - Sept 2023
For three days this group explored the beauty of the New Forest landscape in their sketchbook, based at the Forest Park Hotel in Brockenhurst. We played with acrylic paints, studied the tallest redwoods in the forest, sketched the local ponies, looked at colour mixing and even a spot of leaf printing from local ferns. All meals, accommodation and materials were provided. This was a beautiful weekend full of landscape sketching, connection and friendship (and a smattering of the good old Britsh rain!)
Terms and conditions
Terms and Conditions – Sketching William Morris
In these Booking Conditions references to “we” “us” and “our” is the company Verdant Life Ltd t/a Susan Yeates Artist, references to "you" and "your" include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is
made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred.
Susan Yeates Artist operates in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and the
courts of England and Wales, excluding all jurisdiction from other territories / countries.
1. Contract
These terms and conditions, the booking form, along with our privacy policy (found here https://susanyeates.co.uk/policies/privacy-policy) form the retreat contract.
2. Booking and Payment
To book your place on the retreat you must book online and pay the deposit cost of £100 to secure your booking. Arrival date on this retreat is Friday 7th May 2027. Costs for the retreat are listed above and this price does not include accommodation.
£600 per person for the long weekend retreat including materials, tuition, lunch on Saturday and Sunday, tea and coffee plus two course dinners on the Friday and Saturday evening (alcoholic drinks are extra).
£50 discount for Inspire Members
Deposit: £100 due on booking. This will be refunded in full should the retreat not run due to the minimum numbers not be met. All other T&Cs apply.
Balance: £200 by 01 Dec 2026, then final £300 by 01 Feb 2027 (£250 for Inspire Members). If you book via the website after this date and pay your £100 deposit we will then send an invoice for the balance.
Accommodation is an optional extra as some people may choose to stay elsewhere, drive over each day from home OR stay for a number of nights.
3. Cancellations
You must contact us in writing at hello@susanyeates.co.uk to cancel your booking. A cancellation will take effect from the date that written notice is received at our office. Should you need to cancel your space, all payments become non-refundable if we cannot fill your spot.
If we can fill your spot with a replacement, you will receive all payments back, less £100.
4. If we cancel your booking
We will do our best to fulfil the obligations of this contract. If we do need to cancel, we will offer an alternative date or a full refund.
5. Child policy
Guests must be 18 or over to attend our sketching retreats.
6. Participation
On our sketching retreat the activities require an appropriate level of fitness. We reserve the right not to accept participants on our retreats and activities if, in the reasonable opinion of the leader, this would compromise the safety or enjoyment of an individual or the group as a whole.
If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your booking, please provide us with full details before you make your booking so that we can try to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen arrangements. We may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm your booking or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.
7. Sketching / Painting
Tools and materials suitable for the activities of the retreat will be provided (e.g. sketchbook, pens, pencils and paints). You are welcome to bring your own materials and you will be responsible for these. In the event of unsuitable weather conditions for “plein-air” painting and/or sketching and/or drawing, the group will sketch or paint indoors (accommodation, cafés or studio if applicable). You are advised to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for outdoor sessions.
8. Behaviour
We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.
9. Food and Drinks
Each guest will be responsible for what he or she consumes and can or cannot consume while on our holidays. You agree not to hold us responsible for allergic reactions, intolerance to any foods or drinks, or for any foods or drinks consumed which had any negative consequences on your health or well-being or resulting in death.
10. Illness or absence
If you must withdraw from a retreat after commencement for any reason, you will need to contact your personal holiday insurance company. Unfortunately, no refunds can be made for absences from a retreat, including missed tutoring, missed meals, nights at the accommodation, or any activities you may have missed, or partially missed.
11. Responsibility
We hold no responsibility if you become ill, are personally injured
(fall, road accident, or any other injury) or decease during the holiday period. You are responsible for your personal and travel insurance. You are responsible for complying with our Terms and Conditions. We hold no responsibility for any staining on your clothing caused by you or any member of the group by our materials. For safety reasons, adequate footwear is advisable when walking to sites with the group, or anywhere outside of the accommodation.
By making a booking for the Sketching William Morris Retreat listed above you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.
If you have any queries regarding the contents of these terms and conditions or would like a PDF version emailed to you, please email hello@susanyeates.co.uk and we will be happy to help.