Boconnoc in Bloom - Cornwall 2026

Please arrive from 2pm.

Our home for the next 5 days is in the east of Cornwall amongst rolling hills and sprawling woodland, this mansion is a quintessentially English retreat that envelopes its guests in exquisite surroundings. The vast estate grounds are picture-perfect, so much so that it has been used as a filming location for The Three Musketeers and My Cousin Rachel, as well as popular BBC drama Poldark. Lose yourself in the footpaths and trails of the estate, exploring the colourful shrubbery and stunning arboretum before returning to the sumptuous comforts of the Georgian mansion house.

You will be greeted on arrival and settled into your room. We hope you will feel at home in the beautiful Georgian mansion Boconnoc House and its paired Georgian house known as The Stewardry for this gorgeous painting retreat. 

We can live the Jane Austen dream here while we live and paint in Boconnoc's state rooms, cosy corners, drawing rooms, libraries, hallways, kitchens, dining rooms and sweeping views.  We are treated with wonderful Cornish hospitality.  We also have our own permanent modern art studio in the stable yard.  

Both figurative and abstract painters will be overjoyed by the setting of this old English estate and the grandeur of Boconnoc.  

The Georgian mansion house itself merits time for painting as well as relaxing in its sumptuous comforts.

Please note that not all bedrooms are the same.  There are 16 bedrooms over the two properties, from grand satin draped stately bedrooms to delightful snug attic rooms and modern grandeur in The Stewardry which also has grand rooms as well as standard rooms. 

All rooms have individual bathrooms.

We have all the luxury of staying within Boconnoc house, grounds & estate all day.  We have a studio art space for our use for the duration of our visit.  This gives us huge versatility with our time, and allows the tutors to teach indoors as well.

There are so many views and buildings to paint at Boconnoc we will be spoiled for choice in this sanctuary of calm and beauty.

The day might start with an early morning nature walk through the blooming gardens of Boconnoc, before a delicious breakfast. Then we’ll get together and make plans for the day.  We might start the day with some indoor technical hints and tips, showing you a creative doodle for the day which helps to set our creative talents fire up. There will be plenty to choose from and you can do as little or as much as you want:

• creative doodling warm up exercises, workshops on different watercolour and sketching techniques
• sketching walks, listening walks, nature journaling
• a one-to-one tuition session
• free time to work on your sketches and paintings

This retreat is geared towards deepening our powers of concentration and insight into our artwork, exploring themes and ideas. 

Please bring wellies or walking shoes to enjoy it to the full.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at Boconnoc (included).  Each evening we dine well, eating produce from the estate cooked by our own chef as we talk about the days painting excursions.  The food is part of the luxury of this lovely retreat

Today we continue our artwork at Boconnoc.  There are so many joys in store at Boconnoc, we have plenty to paint inside and en plein air.  

Throughout the retreat your tutor will give focussed guidance, along with exercises and demos. Each day we introduce new techniques in watercolour, drawing and other media. We will work alongside you to fulfil your artistic needs, overcome any barriers and inspire new ways of working.

Today we encourage guests to immerse themselves in the history of Boconnoc and let their imaginations run wild.   The staff will be delighted to share their knowledge of the area and will be curious to see the sketches and paintings of their cherished property.  With stunning views, an abundance of breath-taking flora and fauna the gardens and estate give detail as well as sweeping landscapes.  There's the incomparable colour palette and textures of the natural world to see as we open our creative minds.

The estate comprises of pastures, woodlands, valleys and meadows.   There are miles of tracks to explore at Boconnoc (you will find a map of favourite walks and cycle routes in your room.) Some of you might like new experiences, and we are ready to lead you out into nature where change and wonder is happening all around us. Your tutor is keen for you to get to know the fallow deer and other wildlife that live here and will be keen to take you to draw them.  Please bring binoculars!

There is also a resident barn owl in the barn near the cottages, a dovecot with beautiful white doves which we can be given a sneak peak into, as well as deer, sheep, hedgehogs, birds, frogs, wagtails, goldfinch and many more creatures to spot…

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at Boconnoc (included).

We continue our artwork at Boconnoc  with a choice of walks along the footpaths and trails of the estate, or simply exploring the colourful shrubbery and stunning arboretum. 

These grounds are like a living masterpiece, with every corner offering a new scene waiting to be captured in your sketchbooks. Start your artistic adventure at the Dorothy Garden, just a stone’s throw from the House. Here, bubbling fountains and sun-kissed flowers create a picture-perfect setting that’s bound to inspire. And don’t forget to explore the Shrubbery, where 34 different varieties of hydrangeas and bursts of pink and purple rhododendrons await your artistic touch. For a truly unique painting experience, make your way to the Tropical Fountain along the Stewardry Walk. Surrounded by lush palms and exotic plants, this oasis feels like a tropical paradise right in the heart of Cornwall. With each stroke of your brush, let the beauty of these gardens fill your sketchbooks with the magic of springtime.

We also have a dedicated Boconnoc art space to develop our creativity indoors if we need to be inside due to weather or for concentrated art tutorials and studio time.  Set in one of the Stable Yard rooms designed by Sir John Soane, artists won’t need to look far to feel inspired. 

Whenever you're not painting you might like the games room in the Stable Yard with a pool table, table football and a ping pong table or to simply relax in the stately rooms. 

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at Boconnoc (included).

We continue our artwork at Boconnoc with instruction from Claudia and Ian, taking the opportunity to make more forays into the grounds and estate to paint en plein air  - especially if it's another lovely sunny day!

This morning we dive back into our artwork with renewed energy, determined to develop our paintings further under the guidance of your tutor. Today is a day for considering the final touches to paintings, or how to re-paint in a more abstract manner.  We reflect on the path we have each taken during the retreat and consolidate.

If you wish to take a break from painting for a bit, there are four bikes available with helmets, two paddle boards and four tennis racket, at no extra charge, simply contact reception to book these.  For those who would like to take an excursion to the coast, we could take a few hours to go out to explore the region.

We hope that you will have piles of artwork, some might be ready for the framer, but most of all we hope you have delved into your own creative self to unlock new interests, intensity, fun and excitement in your work.

Evening:. This evening will be our last evening together, so we will share our paintings and stories from the week together before supper.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at Boconnoc (included).

Departure day.  After another delicious  breakfast it will be time to leave.

Please vacate your room by 10am.

We bid a fond farewell to each other and to Boconnoc as we set off on the journey back home.

Bon Voyage!