Our Story

Hello, I’m Karen Sargeant and with my husband Mark, we run a small farm at The Barracks, focusing on wildlife alongside productive farming.

The farm features herbal leys, wild ponds, billowing hedges, newly introduced woodland, wildflower meadow and a willow bed. In summer cows from a neighbouring farmer are grazed in the fields.

My career background is in magazines and in the past I have worked for Artists & Illustrators and Painting World magazines.

Alongside writing and editing I have always enjoyed art and crafting hobbies and The Barracks has given me a gorgeous location in which to share those hobbies with others.

Our goal is to offer workshops to small groups, using the house, barns, gardens and fields to provide creative inspiration and spaces to work.

Sargeant’s Mess

For me, creativity is a messy process! For most of my life it has involved putting down dust sheets, getting the radio on, having plenty of fun experimenting – and then tidying everything away again afterwards.

Finally now I have the space to make a mess and not worry about clearing the table in time for dinner! I appreciate how amazingly special this is and hope you will find this freedom can help advance your creativity too.

No matter what your level of experience or talent, you are welcome here to come and play, experiment, celebrate mistakes and most of all have fun. You will not be judged and not all classes are designed with a specific goal in mind.

Art as mindfulness, therapeutic time out or catharsis is always present and enhanced by the beautiful natural surroundings, but our main goal is to use enjoyment and friendship as a gateway to endless inspiration. Have fun!

Please see the What’s On page for the latest events.

Accessibility

The farm is a natural landscape full of lumps and bumps, plenty of mud and few defined paths. Likewise the house dates back to the 1600s so has uneven floors, narrow doorways and steps. The barns are working areas so clear floor surfaces are not guaranteed. The only smooth surface in the gardens is the front drive. If you have any accessibility requirements we will try to accommodate you but please contact me before booking a course.

Guest tutors

If you would like to teach a workshop using The Barracks as the location, please get in touch.