Combe Grove Centre of Health and Wellbeing
Somerset, England
Medically designed and measurable metabolic health retreats surrounded by rolling countryside near Bath
Set in 70 acres of beautiful grounds and rolling Somerset countryside near the heritage city of Bath, this 17th century country house offers five ground-breaking metabolic health retreats developed by experts including doctors, dietitians and nutritionists. The retreats include a signature Classic Metabolic Health Retreat and specialist programmes for prediabetes, type 1 diabetes, menopause and food addiction. All are offered with a one-year online support programme for sustainable change.
our Reviewer Karen hockney says:
‘Combe Grove focuses on the five roots of metabolic health – nutrition, movement, sleep, mindset and environment.....with the aim to restore normal blood sugar and blood pressure levels and return you to something approximating optimum health in the space of a week’
Queen of Retreats says:
‘Marvellously, your retreat experience lasts a full year, starting with three weeks of preparation. There’s then 48 weeks of post-retreat online support, which includes discussing blood test results, demos and recipes, and a year-long club membership with access to the estate and wellbeing facilities. Take gear to enjoy the classes, gym and spa as well as all-weather rambles in the stunning countryside’
Experiences
Each Metabolic Health programme encompasses the five roots of metabolic health: nutrition, movement, sleep, mindset and environment. Everything is thoroughly researched and backed with science. You’ll have comprehensive medical testing for the key indicators of metabolic health – including cholesterol, blood sugar, triglycerides, and your body fat composition, as well as a diet and lifestyle consultation with a nutritionist or dietitian.
You’ll enjoy practical workshops, group activities and educational presentations from renowned experts such as Metabolic Health Specialist and resident GP, Dr Campbell Murdoch, women’s health expert Dr Juliet Balfour and Type 1 diabetic and GP Dr Ian Lake.
Therapeutic treatments and therapies help reset your mindset and body. The hand-picked holistic practitioners include specialists in acupuncture, reflexology, structural integration, osteopathy, shiatsu, cranio sacral therapy, counselling, Emotional Freedom Technique, naturopathy, kinesiology, reiki and body massage.
Movement can be enjoyed at any level that suits you – from the fully equipped gym, HIIT, body pump and spin classes to yoga nidra. Take part in early morning guided walks in the gorgeous countryside, perhaps accompanied by the estate goats, forest bathe in ancient woodland, or just relax with a swim, sauna and steam.
Mobile phones are discouraged and there are no TV in the bedrooms, creating the perfect environment for a digital detox. Instead, you can go to evening talks by local speakers on interesting topics, such as Combe Grove's illustrious past. There’s also a guided tour of the kitchen garden which is harvested daily for the fruit, vegetables and herbs that make your meals.
Spaces
The centrepiece of the estate is the Manor House, a Georgian property with breathtaking views across the Somerset Valley. The library and drawing room have log burning fires and huge windows overlooking the gardens. Opposite the library is the Map Room café, for tea and cake. The elegant Orangery with floor-to-ceiling windows and hand-drawn murals is where all retreat meals are held.
The 12m heated outdoor pool is tucked away behind trees and has a view of the Limpley Stoke Valley. The Coach House hosts the 16m heated indoor pool, which is suitable for an invigorating swim, a sauna and steam room and four hydrobeds.
There are three exercise studios (which host 65 classes a week) and an impressively sustainable gym, where equipment allows the energy generated by exercise to create renewable energy for Combe Grove. Watson free weights are made from British Steel and sourced locallv in Frome. Eniov dedicated stretching areas and fitness aids such as Swiss balls and kettlebells.
The Barn, with natural wood and stone finishes, hosts the bedrooms, treatment rooms and Oak Room, where all workshops and seminars are held. Stvlish, spacious and comfortable the bedrooms are a tribute to minimalist, Scandi-Japanese styling at its most restful. King-sized beds, locally-sourced woollen duvets, pillows and mattress toppers, sisal carpets and calming neutral tones channel a relaxing vibe. All bedrooms are en-suite with shower or bath, private outdoor balcony or terrace and valley views.
Sustenance
Nutrition is at the root of metabolic health so it’s no surprise that expert in-house nutritionists and chefs prepare the menus according to Combe Grove’s motto: ‘let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’. The farm-to-fork approach starts in the kitchen garden, where seasonal veggies such as spinach, cavolo nero and Crown Prince squash are grown. Other produce is sourced locally.
Brunch choices include healthy options like scrambled eggs with goat cheese curd, thyme and roasted mushrooms, a chickpea flour pancake with roasted vegetables, tofu and chilli, garlic and tahini dressing. The main dish is followed by a choice of vegan or organic yoghurt and kefir topped with a seasonal selection of berries, nuts and seeds to aid digestion.
Dinner kicks off with a zingy salad and mains include rosemary roasted lamb shank with celeriac mash and braised red cabbage or portobello, oyster, shitake and chestnut mushrooms in porcini and tarragon sauce with tofu and spiced red cabbage. Grilled hake fillet with sea vegetables, crab sauce and winter greens or local venison haunch are also favourites.
Snacks might include a ginger and turmeric shot with a delicious date ball. The retreat is alcohol-free, but caffeine is permitted. Drinks include a refreshing Pentire botanical (alcohol-free gin) served on crushed ice with Fever Tree tonic and a sprig of samphire, or a glass of chilled kombucha.
All diets can be catered for, including vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian, and you can expect a low-sugar and low-carb menu. Nutritionists and dietitians are on hand to outline the nutritional value of each meal and answer any questions regarding the menu.
