The Glade takes up to 150 people for a corporate away day, a workshop, a handfasting or a family celebration, and every booking includes the whole site. It is a community venue in a clearing of the North Woods, on the Dartington estate just outside Totnes in Devon, run off-grid and focused on events that bring people closer to nature.
Seminars and company events
Corporate away days, meetings and training sessions are welcome. The Nest gives a heated, all-weather room for 40 to 50 seated, the Tree Table works for workshop sessions in the open, and a projector and screen can be hired with or without a technician. Power is limited: solar panels run the lighting and two low-wattage sockets in the Nest, enough to charge laptops and phones, while anything heavier needs the 4.2 kW generator available for hire. There is no Wi-Fi and mobile signal is weak, so teams should plan to work offline. Optional extras include a hot drinks service, a staffed woodland bar, a day assistant who helps with setup and fire tending, and a cold-weather package with blankets, hot water bottles and a fire lit on arrival.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are arranged case by case through a conversation with the team rather than an online booking. The stage area has hosted handfasting ceremonies, and its benches move aside to leave a dance floor. Naming ceremonies, birthdays, children's parties and memorials are also held here. The venue says it is not a party venue: amplified music ends at 10 p.m., DJs are not allowed, and live bands must be agreed in advance under the noise policy.
Rooms and capacities
The Nest is a round building about 7 meters across, made from local timber and renewable materials, with a central wood burner and a skylight that looks up into the tree canopy. It seats 40 to 50, or 8 to 10 people on yoga mats. The stage area has movable benches for about 120 under a star tent, which can be taken down with notice for a fully open space. The fire circle has stump and bench seating, a parachute cover against rain and a platform for two wheelchairs. A woodland bar, the Tree Table and an open outside area complete the site, and a 12-meter marquee can be added on request for larger groups.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms, and camping or staying overnight on site is not allowed. The nearest campsite is about a ten-minute walk away on the Dartington estate.
Catering
The Glade has no in-house menu. Organizers bring a caterer, for instance from the venue's list of local suppliers who know the site, or cook on site on gas stoves, on a raised barbecue or over the fire. Drinks packages need at least two weeks' notice for daytime weekday events and two months for evenings and weekends. Water urns, dispensers, crockery and pots can be hired.
Getting there
A gravel track leads to the site, with two disabled parking bays at the entrance and a wheelchair drop-off platform, and matted paths and ramps link the spaces. The site has three compost toilets, one of them accessible, two urinals and drinking water. It opens at 8 a.m. and must be cleared by 11 p.m., with extra setup hours bookable. All waste has to be taken away after the event.
