The Elements Retreat

Essential Information

Getting Here

ADDRESS: Candleston Castle Campsite, Merthyr Mawr, Rd, Bridgend, South Wales, CF32 0LS.

We ACTIVELY encourage you to please car share where possible,.... it just makes sense, helps make the world a cleaner place and is way more fun than arriving alone.

Go through Merthyr Mawr village, keep going until you see signs for the Elements Car Park. This is on your right hand side. You will be meet by a steward and directed to a parking place. (see car parking later).

Parking

ALL cars are parked in the GENERAL Car Park. This is a large field outside the forest area, which is on the right-hand side as you approach the site. From this car park, a 600m woodland track leads to the central retreat site.
There will be a van going back and forth the site to bring your luggage down from the main car park. Please look for the marshals in the hi viz jackets who are there to help you load luggage in the van. You will then walk down to the site and your luggage will be brought down for you.
PLEASE NOTE: Parking in the FOREST is restricted to Element Retreat Team.
Strictly no cars/vehicles are allowed in any of the camping areas at any time.

Tickets & Arrivals

We use an E-ticketing system and you will NOT receive a paper ticket.

A confirmation purchase email will be sent to you when you purchase your ticket/s, Please take a screen shot and bring it with you.

Arrival Times:

The Retreat site is open to the public 1pm Friday 20yj June, You are welcome to just arrive any time between 1pm and 6pm - if you are arriving later please let us know so we can guide you .

When you arrive please go straight to the WELCOME DESK to book in and be shown to your camping pitch.

Camping Pitches

Please camp respectfully - if you have a larger than average tent please let us know in advance so we can ensure an appropriate pitch is allocated.

QUIET AT NIGHT

This might seem a bit unusual, but we have a “Quiet at night” policy, which means no amplified music or excessive noise after 10pm in the main festival area and camping areas. This allows festival goers and the forest time to relax and restore.

Leaving Times

Everybody will need to have packed up and off the site by 12 midday on Monday 23rd June.

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What to bring

- PLATE, CUP, BOWL & CUTTLERY

- Chairs, blankets and picnic sets

- Weather appropriate clothing

- Warm clothes, bedding, hot water bottle - it may get cold at night, even in June

- We are one mile from a sandy beach, for all you wild swimmers out there. Please be careful of the current and tides if you go

- Swimwear - for the cold water therapy sessions

- Water bottles

- Trolley for carrying camping gear

- Good shoes as this is a forst so the ground is uneven in places, however as it's sand-based wellies are not needed, even if it rains! (which it wont)

WHAT NOT TO BRING:

- Dogs or any other pets (site rules, sorry - we love them, but they can't come this time)

- Glass bottles

- Fires/open flames

- Sound systems - we are in a quiet after 10pm zone

- BBQs and Fire Bowls

- Bad attitudes or vibes

Camping Information

Please bring a tent that is of a suitable size for your party. The maximum camping pitch for a family tent (4 person) is about 5m x 5m (25sqm) (including guy ropes). If your tent’s footprint is bigger than 25sqm, please let us know.

Camping is divided into 3 zones.

General Camping is outside the woodland in a field adjacent to the general car park.
Forest Camping is inside the woodland in a defined area marked by posts. This is limited to 100 pitches and there is a 600m walk from the general car park to your pitch.
BELLE TENTS: If you have Hired a Belle Tent please proceed to the forest entrance car park upon arrival and you will be taken to your tent.

NB. No vehicles are allowed in any of the camping areas at any time.

Campervans will be escorted to their space on arrival.

Toilets & Washing Facilities

In the main central barn structure there are flushing toilets and washrooms.
There are free hot showers and some porta-shower units. Please be considerate and spend no longer than 3 mins showering
IMPORTANT INFORMATION regarding water supply. We are in a forest and water is stored in refillable water tanks. During high peak usage these tanks can run low, so please use the water conservatively and switch taps off after use.
There is a pot washing area near the main barn area and also portable washing-up stations.
Please bring your own toilet paper supply as this runs out very quickly.

Food & Drink

You are welcome to bring your own food and drink into the campsite. However, please do not bring any glass with you. Instead decant drinks into plastic bottles or use cans.
Due to licensing regulations, it is prohibited to bring alcohol into the central campsite area.
Excellent coffee, tea and cold drinks are available to purchase all day. There will be a water refill station at the main Barn.
We have a gorgeous private chefs and nutrition team on board along with our collaborations with local food providers to ensure that you are fully fed and watered all weekend.

For Your Safety

Fire Safety

In case of fire: A fire bell will sound, and stewards will direct you to the nearest fire assembly point. Please refer to the fire safety policy on the forest barn notice board for more information. Please make a note of your nearest fire safety point and water standpipe.
We love campfires; however, we need to restrict them to only Element Retreat managed campfires. IMPORTANT – NO fires, charcoal BBQs or fire bowls are allowed anywhere on the site including all camping areas.
Gas cooking equipment is permitted but must be raised off the ground by at least 15cm (6inch) to prevent fires and damage to the grass. Under no circumstances use gas cookers inside your tents or in enclosed spaces.
For safety reasons, please don’t use candles or lanterns containing candles in the camping areas.

First Aid & Security

We have first aider on site day and night. If you require first aid, please make your way to the first aid point near the main central barn. In an emergency, please alert one of the festival stewards who will radio for a first aider to attend.

Waste & Recycling

This is a beautiful natural woodland, adjacent to a SSSI, therefore, clearing up after yourselves is a must. We have “LEAVE NO TRACE” & “RESPECT” all wildlife policies and we are affiliated to Powerful Thinking, a Think-Tank organisation for greener festivals.

We encourage people to dispose of their own waste by taking it home and recycling it appropriately.
Keep the site clean by picking up ANY litter.
We have a 3-bin system: general, recyclables and food waste. The recyclables are sorted off site. If in doubt about which bin to use, please ask.
Please bring your own cups, plates and cutlery if you can. There are 2 sinks for washing up. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have your crockery, as all our chefs supply fully recyclable plates etc but this makes us cry... as the waste mounts up.
Do not leave any camping items etc on the site after the event and we encourage you to repair, reuse or recycle.

Money & Mobile Phones

All our program events are free, additional costs for Wood fired Sauna and one to one treatments.
We use contactless card machines in the central barn area, but the signal may be unreliable so please bring cash or book our food packages to remain cash free.
The mobile phone signal is poor. You may be able to get a mobile phone signal near the general car park. Or just leave it behind!