# Combe Grove: Metabolic Health Retreats Near Bath

> Combe Grove is a metabolic health centre on a 70-acre wooded estate on the edge of Bath, run by a registered charity. It suits adults who want to understand their health through testing, food and education, especially around energy, hormones and midlife changes.

Source: https://www.retreatvacations.net/combe-grove/
Last checked: 2026-10-20
Location: Brassknocker Hill, Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom
Type: wellness
Official website: https://combegrove.com/
Best for: Adults wanting practical, evidence-led changes to energy, metabolism and hormonal health
Setting: 70-acre estate, more than half woodland, above the Limpley Stoke valley
Programs: Six-day retreats, four-day retreats, day retreats, gut health and menopause retreats, a 12-month option
Rooms: Orchard, Grove and Barn rooms, kept technology-free
Facilities: Swimming pool, gym, tennis, classes, treatments, kitchen garden
Nearest station: Bath Spa, with retreat guest pick-up

As recommended in:
- National Geographic, "What are menopause retreats and how do they help?" (2025-03-05) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-are-menopause-retreats-and-how-do-they-help

## What it's like

Combe Grove sits on a hillside just outside Bath, on a 70-acre estate where more than half the land is woodland. There's a mix of grassland and hedgerow too, a spring feeding several streams, and two protected Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The house has a long history; the present building is recorded as far back as 1698, and the preacher John Wesley visited often in the 1700s.

Since 2017 it's been owned by the Elmhurst Foundation, a registered charity, which runs it as a centre for health and wellbeing. Alongside retreat guests, local members use the gym, pool and tennis courts, so it feels lived-in rather than closed off. Combe Grove is clear that it's a non-clinical service: it offers wellbeing assessments, not medical diagnosis.

National Geographic featured it in 2025 in a piece on retreats that help with menopause and midlife health.

## The programs

The core offer is the six-day Retreat, which runs Monday to Saturday on set dates through the year. Every version includes a blood test, a body composition analysis, healthy brunches and dinners, wellness workshops, treatments and a massage, plus use of the facilities. Upgraded versions add hormone and metabolic testing and continuous glucose monitoring with a follow-up, and there's a 12-month option that brings you back for shorter retreats and repeat tests across the year.

If you can't spare a full week, there are four-day retreats, day retreats and a yoga day retreat. Specialist retreats focus on gut health and on menopause. You can also book a standalone metabolic health assessment or a nutrition consultation, or simply come for an overnight wellness stay.

Treatments on site include acupuncture, massage, osteopathy, physiotherapy, reflexology, reiki, counselling and clinical hypnotherapy. There's a swimming pool, a gym in the old coach house, tennis courts and a timetable of classes.

## Food

Meals are served in the Map Room, and the estate has its own kitchen garden. Retreat food is built around nourishing brunches and dinners rather than three formal meals.

## Who it suits (and who it doesn't)

Combe Grove is a good fit if you like data and education with your downtime: people noticing changes in energy, weight, sleep or hormones, and women navigating perimenopause or menopause who want structured, practical guidance. It's also handy for anyone in the UK who wants a meaningful retreat without flying.

It's less suited to people looking for a sunshine escape or a pure pampering break. And because it isn't a medical clinic, it won't replace care from your doctor.

## Getting there

The address is Brassknocker Hill, Bath, BA2 7HS. The nearest train station is Bath Spa, and metabolic health retreat guests are collected from outside the station in an electric van. If you're driving, follow the postcode to the Claverton Down Road entrance; there are three car parks on site. By bus, the number 2 from central Bath stops at Combe Down, about a 15-minute walk away.

## Frequently asked questions

### How long is the main retreat?
Six days, Monday to Saturday, with shorter four-day and day retreats also on offer.

### Is there a menopause retreat?
Yes. Combe Grove runs a dedicated menopause retreat as well as a gut health retreat.

### Is Combe Grove a medical clinic?
No. It describes itself as a non-clinical service offering wellbeing assessments, not diagnosis.

### Can I get there without a car?
Yes. Take the train to Bath Spa, where retreat guests are met with an electric van.

See upcoming retreat dates on the [official Combe Grove website](https://combegrove.com/).
