A FEEL-GOOD festival in the Pembrokeshire countryside has enjoyed its best-ever year.

The Big Retreat Wales, on a superb site in Lawrenny, welcomed a footfall of 2,000 visitors on each of its four days.

The family-friendly event, designed to stimulate mind, body and soul, featured 200 workshops including conversations on mental health, yoga and wild swimming sessions - which saw over 200 people dipping their toes in the Cleddau - nature walks, art, crafting, dancing and food and drink treats.

This was the third year that the festival has taken place, and its co-founder, Amber Lort-Phillips, said: “We are overwhelmed by the level of support for The Big Retreat Wales this year, and by the sheer numbers of people who joined us to explore, discover and have fun in this beautiful part of the world.

“We’re hugely thankful to everyone involved in making this year’s festival the biggest and best, and now we look ahead to 2020.

“We want to keep our festival numbers limited to ensure we maintain our vibe and sense of community, and you can be sure will also be surprising and delighting our returning customers.”

Amongst the speakers were The Naked Professors, talking about mental health matters. One half of the duo, Ben Bidwell, said after his visit to The Big Retreat: "I returned to London tired, but with a full heart, having spent time in stunning nature, connected with beautiful people and inspired by whole-hearted talks.”

A popular feature at the festival, which ran from Friday May 24 to Monday May 27, was The Cook Tent, with demonstrations and tastes from the likes of Dirty Vegan Matt Pritchard, forager Matt Powell, Apprentice star Alana Spencer, Ryan Riley of Life Kitchen, the UK’s first cancer cookery school and Pembrokeshire’s own Bug Farm Foods.

There was also a chance to discover more about the event’s own gin brand, the Cleddau Pineapple Gin.

The Big Retreat Wales returns next year from May 22-25, with a limited number of Super Early Bird tickets already released.

For more details and tickets, visit www.thebigretreatwales.co.uk