The Shire Retreat
Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 7LS
Carrie’s expert take
“What I really like about The Shire is that it gets teams out of the usual corporate environment. You can have a proper strategy session in the morning, then get everyone outside for a walk, yoga, wild swimming or a sauna and cold plunge. For me, that’s what a good corporate retreat should be about - giving people time to think, talk and reconnect, rather than sitting in a meeting room all day. It’s also close enough to London to make a day retreat genuinely practical”
The Shire is a wellness and events venue on an old family farm in south Northamptonshire, an hour from London and twenty minutes from both Northampton and Milton Keynes.
The Shire Retreat host high-touch, private offsites set within over 100 acres of parkland, just a 30 minute train from London. Whether it’s a focused strategy day, an overnight team offsite, or client hosting, we tailor the entire schedule, private meeting spaces, and dining experience around the team’s priorities.
The main event space sits on the lower floor of a restored farmhouse, with five arches opening onto a private walled garden and terrace with fire pits. It takes 120 seated or 200 standing, and works as a blank canvas for banquet, cabaret or open-plan layouts. A separate farmhouse meeting room seats 24, with an 86-inch screen, soundbar and kitchenette.
The grounds include a swimming lake, sauna and cold plunge, tennis court, sports field, marquee field and walking trails through parkland the family have spent decades rewilding. Yoga, breathwork and sound baths can be arranged through local practitioners.
Catering is available through partners. Parking for 80 cars. The venue hosts one group per day.
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Trusted by organisations across the UK
PharmaBrands
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PharmaBrands host events in the UK, Europe and USA, providing world-class education, support, inspiration and experiences. Finding the right venue in each country is a vital factor and Function Fixers is proud to be their chosen venue-finding partner.
Deaf Sports Personality of the Year
Awards ceremony and dinner
We are very proud to have worked with Ric at DSPY for a number of years. DSPY is a very special awards night, celebrating the achievements of deaf athletes.
Mars Food
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When Mars Food needed a two day, two night venue for 145 delegates, with breakout meeting space and two evening events, we recommended De Vere Wokefield Park for its exceptional onsite facilities and proximity to both Heathrow and Gatwick.
Aquatics GB
Annual away day and awards, Glasgow
For their annual away day and awards celebrating the season's successes, Aquatics GB needed a Glasgow venue for 110 delegates by day and 250 at the awards dinner, with affordable accessible accommodation. We secured the Glasgow Marriott, with further budget accommodation at the nearby Ibis Budget Glasgow.
Tamarindo
Renewable energy PR agency
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Fellowship for British Hairdressing
Barry Stephens, Chief Executive Officer
Function Fixers has become a trusted venue partner for the Fellowship, taking the time to understand our brief, our organisation and the experience we want for our members and guests. Their attention to detail and value for money have supported the successful delivery of a number of Fellowship events, including our flagship Luncheon and Awards.
NHS
Training
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Greenpeace
A global campaigning network
Function Fixers is a trusted partner of Greenpeace, working to find venues some of our UK events. They have a unique empathy and always manage to find us venues that perfectly fit our briefs.