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Muncaster Castle, Lake District

Thursday 12th to Monday 16th March 2026

Led by Fools: A Writing Retreat at Muncaster Castle

 

A Pelumbra retreat for reflection, creativity and critical insight.

A place for deep writing in foolish times.

Join us for four days of writing and quiet inspiration in the remarkable setting of Muncaster Castle — an ancient stronghold on the edge of the Lake District, where centuries of story, struggle, and subversion are etched into every stone.

This is a Pelumbra retreat: designed with care, lightly held, and shaped by years of experience supporting writers, thinkers and change-makers to find clarity, voice and courage in their work. Drawing on our long tradition of writing retreats, we bring a distinctive mix of quietude, insight, and shared inquiry.

At Muncaster, we take inspiration from The Fool — not the simpleton or hedonist, but the wise fool who speaks truth to power, who exposes pretension, who dares to say what others won’t. The fool as riddler or trickster who makes mischief that matters is human amidst the machines.

This retreat invites you to write from that place where humour, honesty, and imagination meet. And it’s worth noting that Muncaster is no folly: it’s a real castle guarding the ancient harbour at Ravenglass  - developed by the Romans to give access to the western valleys and hills of Cumbria, which rise above the castle and its beautiful gardens.

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For those exploring folly, wisdom, and the strange theatre of now

This retreat is open to writers in all forms — poetry, fiction, essays, screenplays, blogs, academic work, and hybrid genres. You may be:

  • Developing long-standing writing projects and seeking space to focus

  • Exploring the absurdities of power, leadership, or institutional life

  • Reflecting on ecological grief or new ways of being in nature

  • Writing into paradox, politics, or personal transformation

  • Wondering how wisdom and foolishness coexist — in systems, societies, or selves

Whether you're grappling with serious themes or playing with lightness and form, this is a space where your work can grow quietly, deeply, and among thoughtful company.

What you can expect

  • Space to write — long stretches of unstructured time to pursue your own project

  • Gentle prompts and shared sessions (always optional)

  • Writing salons in haunted chambers and firelit corners

  • Philosophical walks and reflective rambles

  • Conversations with fellow writers, artists, scholars and systems thinkers

  • A closing feast for the senses and the spirit

We combine seriousness with lightness, quiet with conversation, solitude with solidarity — trusting that unexpected connections will emerge through presence, play, and perspective.

Why Muncaster Castle? Why The Fool?

Muncaster has been home to the Pennington family since 1208. According to legend, it also housed Thomas Skelton, jester and ghost — the Tom Fool, who still watches over the grounds.

 

His legacy is more than mischief: he reminds us that folly can be a mask for insight, that truth can come clothed in laughter, and that speaking out sometimes begins with being strange.

In our time — when foolishness too often takes the form of denial, destruction and distortion — this retreat invites a different kind of folly: one that draws on courage, humility and imagination.

Let the Fool guide your questions. Let the castle keep your focus. Let your writing grow in silence and in good company.

Join us at Muncaster. Write with ghosts. Reflect deeply. Speak freely

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Guest Co-Host: John Elkington

We're joined by acclaimed sustainability thinker, best-selling author and entrepreneur John Elkington, whose presence will deepen conversations about ecological change, systemic transition, and regenerative futures — especially for those writing at the intersection of nature, leadership and ethics.

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Thursday

Saturday

Monday

Friday

Sunday

  • ​Writers' Meet & Greet 

  • Castle Welcome 

  • Time to settle in, tea/cake/fruit 

  • Introductory Workshop

  • Welcome drinks and dinner

  • Breakfast 

  • Writing Session 1

  • Break

  • Writing Session 2

  • Lunch

  • Writing Session 3

  • Afternoon Tea

  • Optional workshop / Writing Session 4

  • Drinks & Dinner

  • Breakfast

  • Writing Session 5

  • Break

  • Writing Session 6

  • Lunch

  • Writing Session 7

  • Afternoon Tea

  • Optional workshop / Writing Session 8

  • Drinks & Dinner

  • Breakfast

  • Writing Session 9

  • Break

  • Writing Session 10 

  •  Lunch

  • Writing Session 11

  • Afternoon Tea

  • Optional workshop / Writing Session 12

  • Celebration Dinner

  • Breakfast

  • Writing Session 13

  • Break

  • Closing session

  • Lunch 

  • Onward travels

 Accommodation

As the evening light fades over the Lake District fells, you arrive in Ravenglass, the sleepy coastal village that feels like it’s stepped out of another time. At the heart of it sits The Pennington Hotel, its warm stone facade glowing under the lanterns. The moment you step inside, you’re welcomed by a crackling fire and the soft hum of conversation drifting from the bar. Your room is a comforting blend of modern touches and historic charm, with plush bedding, a deep bath, and views over the village rooftops. Later, you find yourself savouring a hearty Cumbrian dinner in the hotel’s restaurant—locally sourced lamb, creamy potatoes, and a glass of wine to toast your adventure.

The next morning, after a full English breakfast, you drive the short distance to Muncaster Castle, ready for a day of exploring the gardens, woodlands, and ancient halls.

But perhaps you choose instead the Coachman’s Quarters, tucked right inside Muncaster Castle’s grounds. Here, you wake to birdsong echoing through the misty gardens and the rustle of leaves in the towering trees outside your window. Your room sits within a historic stable block, now beautifully restored with cozy furnishings, rustic beams, and views straight onto the castle’s lawns. You wander outside before breakfast, when the gardens are yours alone—deer might watch you from the shadows, and the morning light catches on spiderwebs strung like silver between the rhododendrons.

Whichever you choose—the welcoming bustle of The Pennington or the serene seclusion of the Coachman’s Quarters—your stay is steeped in the magic of Muncaster. Each evening brings a sense of timelessness as you drift to sleep surrounded by centuries of stories, the quiet hills standing watch beyond your window.

Registration & Cost

To register and for any questions about the Retreat, write to miriam@pelumbra.com

The fees include:

  • Writing workshops 

  • Accommodation for 4 nights/5 days

  • All your meals: 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners  

  • Morning and afternoon refreshments

  • Use of wi-fi, sitting rooms, library, gardens, and local know-how


Fees​

All rooms are ensuite except the bunk room, which will share a bathroom between 6. 

  • The Pennington Hotel- Double bed £1700

  • The Pennington Hotel -Suite  £1800 - taken

  • The Pennington Hotel - Accessible Double bedroom £1700​

  • Coachman's Quarters- Double bed £1600

  • Coachman's Quarters- bunk bed. Shared with other people. Mixed gender. £800 



Fees do not include airfare, travel insurance, additional accommodations or personal expenses.

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Outdoors at Muncaster

As you step through the gates of Muncaster Castle, the world seems to transform around you. The air grows sweeter under ancient trees, and the sound of birdsong echoes across 77 acres of gardens that have enchanted visitors for centuries. You follow a winding path through carpets of bluebells in spring, where the delicate flowers ripple like a blue sea under the towering oaks. Turning a corner, you find yourself in the Sino-Himalayan garden, where rare rhododendrons and towering magnolias bloom with bursts of pink and white, filling the air with their heady scent.

Walking along the Terrace Walk—once described by John Ruskin as “The Gateway to Paradise”—you pause to take in sweeping views over the rolling Eskdale Valley and the distant peaks of the Lake District fells, their silhouettes softened by morning mist. In the meadows below, families spread blankets for picnics. The Weapons Hall, where visitors can take part in Archery, Axe Throwing and Crossbow skill sessions or tiptoe along the Enchanted Trail, discovering fairy doors hidden in ancient tree trunks.

Deeper into the gardens, the canopy opens to sunlit lawns where red kites circle overhead, and the Hawk & Owl Centre hosts breathtaking flying displays that draw gasps of delight. Between adventures, there are quiet moments too: benches tucked into hidden glades, the gentle rustle of leaves overhead, the soft ripple of water in shaded ponds. As the day draws on, the gardens invite you to linger—to explore every secret path, breathe in the changing scents of the seasons, and lose yourself in a place where history and nature weave a story you’ll never forget.

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