The first PLY Weekend Away.
16 to 18 October · 42 Acres, Somerset
Twelve people, all over 45, all on their own.
The place
173 acres of woodland, meadows and a lake.
A restored estate in the Somerset countryside. In November it is woodsmoke, low sun and frost on the grass.
Your room
Your own room and bathroom. Both nights.
Four buildings across the estate: the 15th-century Hermitage, the Library Barn, Monks Hatch and, for one person, the Tiny Boat on the lake.
The food
Every meal, grown here, eaten together.
Six meals from the estate's own kitchen garden, Friday dinner to Sunday lunch, at one long table.
The weekend
Gently hosted. Never over scheduled.
What it costs
- Includes
- Your room, every meal, the sauna, the walks, film night and transfers from Castle Cary
- To secure it
- £295 now, £500 six weeks before the weekend
- Places
- 12, everyone over 45
- Cancellations
- If we can't offer you a place, your deposit comes back in full. If you cancel, we'll do our best to fill your place and refund what we can.
Reserve, we say hello, you turn up.
- 1
Two minutes. Tell us a little about yourself and pay the £295 deposit. The place is yours.
- 2
Karen emails you within a day to say hello, tell you a bit about who else is coming, and answer anything you're wondering.
- 3
You pay the balance six weeks before, pack a jumper, and we collect you from Castle Cary.
Questions people ask
I'm coming on my own. Will it be awkward?
Everybody is coming on their own, and that is rather the point. Nobody walks in with a ready-made circle, and the weekend is hosted so that getting to know each other happens over a walk or a long lunch instead of an icebreaker.
Will I have to share a room or bathroom?
Never. Every guest has a private bedroom, single occupancy, with their own bathroom, and there is no supplement for it.
How fit do I need to be for the walks?
These are gentle countryside walks rather than hikes, and every part of the programme is optional.
What if I need to cancel?
Plans change, and if yours do we will do everything we can to fill your place; where we can, we refund what you have paid less a £25 administration fee.
What happens afterwards
The weekend is the start of it, not the end.
The group chat stays open
Everyone keeps talking after Sunday lunch.
A reunion dinner
Within a month, same people, one long table.
First pick of the next one
And everyone from your weekend is in Your People on PLY.
I went to see 42 Acres and knew straight away it was the place. Our first weekend filled up almost as soon as we announced it.
Karen, founder of PLY