Propelled to international fame aged just 11, Charlotte Church sang exquisite arias to presidents and royalty in concert halls around the world; now she is offering sound healing of a different kind. Earlier this year, Charlotte opened the doors to The Dreaming, a nature-centred wellbeing retreat nestled among towering ancient woodland and tumbling waterfalls in a quiet valley in Powys, the heartland of Wales.
Charlotte greets me at the retreat, Rhydoldog House, and I’m struck by the singer-songwriter’s glittering lively eyes and joyful irrepressible energy – it’s clear this land is nourishing her soul. But Charlotte found this house and its 19 hectares – formerly owned by Laura Ashley – quite by chance. “I was just coming for a nose. I was looking for a field – I wanted to start a glamping business, but I just got absolutely spellbound by the land and the forest and the waterfalls. It absolutely blew my tiny mind. I wasn’t really interested in the house. It was the land and the Elan Valley in general; it’s just such a beautiful place. I totally fell in love. The land soothed me and I’ve been its faithful servant ever since.
