Tour 42 Acres: A hidden, beautiful regenerative event venue

In the high-velocity world of tech, the prevailing narrative is often one of acceleration: faster scaling, rapid iteration. But some communities of founders and business leaders are challenging this: to speed up, we must first slow down.

Our rating	5 star
Location	Somerset, UK
Highlights	+ 7 acre lake for wild swimming+ Woodland sauna+ Organic, local food+ Cosy meeting spaces
Best For	+ Corporate retreats+ Leadership offsites+ Conferences
Style	+ Nature based+ Cosy+ Countryside

We recently saw this principle in action during the South West of England ClimateTech Summit. The event brought the region’s most ambitious climate-tech founders to 42 Acres, a regenerative estate in Somerset. While the agenda was focused on the future of our planet, the setting forced a return to something far more primal.

The success of the summit offers a compelling case study for a new era of business gatherings, one where "retreat" is not an escape from work, but a strategic tool for deeper cognition.

The Science of "Soft Fascination"

Why do breakthroughs often happen on a walk in the woods rather than in a boardroom? Environmental psychologists call it Attention Restoration Theory (ART).

In an office, we use "directed attention"- a finite resource that drains our cognitive battery, leading to decision fatigue. In contrast, the ancient woodland at 42 Acres trigger what researchers call "soft fascination." The rustle of leaves or the ripple of the 7-acre lake engages the mind effortlessly, allowing directed attention to replenish.

For the ClimateTech founders, walking the grounds wasn't just leisure; it was a neurological necessity. By stepping away from the pitch decks and into the rewilded landscape, they were arguably doing their most productive thinking.

Physiology of the Pivot: The Sauna and the Cold Plunge

One of the summit’s most frequented features was the wellness circuit: a wood-fired sauna followed by a wild swim in the lake. While this feels like a luxury, the biological impact on a founder's nervous system is profound.

Exposure to cold water (like the 42 Acres lake) stimulates the Vagus nerve, the body’s "superhighway" that controls our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).

For founders operating in high-stress "fight or flight" modes, this physical shock forces a hard reset of the stress response, lowering cortisol and clearing the mental fog that blocks strategic vision.

The "Soil-to-Gut" Philosophy

Perhaps the most radical idea at 42 Acres is their food philosophy: "Soil to Gut."

In the tech world, "food as fuel" often means caffeine and convenience. 42 Acres challenges this with a premise backed by emerging microbiome science: the complexity of our gut bacteria directly influences our cognitive resilience.

It is easy to misinterpret "soil to gut" as austere; a plate of raw mushrooms and moral superiority. The reality at the summit was starkly different. We were served a locally sourced lamb shank that was as rich and comforting as it was sustainable.

The philosophy relies on a 42-mile sourcing radius. By shortening the supply chain, the food retains higher nutrient density than standard commercial produce.

Studies suggest that soil rich in microbial diversity (like that found in regenerative farms) produces crops that can improve human gut microbiome diversity. Since 95% of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut, there is a literal, biological link between the health of the soil and the mood of the founder.

Final thoughts

The South West of England ClimateTech Summit proved that the "bleisure" (business + leisure) trend is maturing into something more significant: Regenerative Business.

As we look toward a future that requires solving impossible problems, we cannot rely on burnt-out minds. Places like 42 Acres serve as a reminder that the most sophisticated technology we have is the human brain - and like the soil, it needs to be fed, rested, and rewilded to produce its best.

Go to the 42 Acres website