The Hermitage Cottage

The Hermitage is a self catering cottage for one person on "retreat", or for two or three people seeking a tranquil spot in the soft drumlin hills of Saintfield, County Down.
The cottage sits within, and as an integral part of a two acre garden.
The garden is encompassed by almost twenty acres of land.
The cottage is adjacent a family household, and nearby the town of Saintfield.

• Fully equipped kitchen
• 2 Bedroom, sleeps 3
• Ensuite shower room
• Oil fired, under floor, central heating
• Off road private parking
• Laundry facilities
• On-line computer facilities
• Extensive gardens for walks and rambles in countryside
• Retreat Guidance where requested
• Retreat Resources
• Necessary amenities within walking distance: groceries, restaurants, public transport

Step outside your door and begin the adventure! Find yourself in Rural County Down with its rolling hills and traditional farming life. Distant views of Belfast belie the close proximity of the city. In another direction and a short drive away, lie the Mourne Mountains and long strands of sandy beach at Murlough. Or you could try walking the lazy Lagan Tow path, where woodland and meadow preserves watch over the river\'s life long winding flow from Slieve Croob to Belfast Lough. Finally, the local region hosts two of the finest National Trust Properties: (Rowallane Garden and Mt Stewart) As well as Castlewellan Arboretum.

A labyrinth is a single path or unicursal tool for personal, psychological and spiritual transformation. Labyrinths are thought to enhance right brain activity.
"The labyrinth is a great healer, a cosmological pathway that people have walked for eons. The labyrinth opens us up to the larger stories of life, death and rebirth and people have been walking for thousands of years. When you walk the labyrinth, your story is part of a much bigger picture, one filled with mystery; the labyrinth opens you to the mystery of your life and the greater mystery in which all life is held. This is what heals."
~ from Exploring the Labyrinth, Melissa Gayle West

The Hermitage Cottage Yurt is a modern adaptation of the ancient circular shelter used by Central Asian nomads for centuries. The compact shape of the yurt and combination of lightweight members in tension and compression mean use of materials. It is heated with an environmentally friendly air cooled heat pump and carpeted throughout.

The Hermitage Cottage Yurt is a available for hire and provides a pleasing area for meeting, using the long recognised pattern of ‘meeting in circle'. The space serves groups of up to 40 people. The yurt is set in a 2 acre garden...the perfect atmosphere for meditation, yoga, tai chi, training sessions and collective group reflections.

The Hermitage Cottage is located in the Heart of County Down which is steeped in history as well as, story.
It continues to be told across centuries and through layers of cultural expression as it becomes new chapters of an ongoing and wondrous tale.
On the hilltops are remains of the 'duns' and raths of the first settlers. St Patrick is said to have brought one of the early forms of Christianity to Ireland. On the shores of Strangford Lough are the remains of great abbeys, burnt by Viking raiders. Norman towers and castles recall a once-turbulent Province and magnificent country houses attest the coming of more peaceful times