Tanners Hatch Hostel

05/09/2026

Hope you heard our Nod on Soul Music this morning. Here’s a shout out to Maggie Ayre, a skilled interviewer and lovely person who helped Nod tell her story. We’ll be posting excerpts from the interview over the next few days. https://www.instagram.com/maggsa/

04/09/2026

And here’s a taster for tomorrow’s BBC Radio 4 episode of Soul Music - see post below. Nicole describes how she and her friends discovered Tanners Hatch at the age of 16.
(Radio 4 Soul Music ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’, 10.30am Sat 5th September https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00316j9 )

02/09/2026

This is going to be worth listening to!! Nicole Lazarus (aka Nod) is one of the people leading our efforts to reopen Tanners. This Saturday she can be heard on the excellent Radio 4 series, Soul Music, talking about the much-loved song Wild Mountain Thyme, and the memories it evokes for her of discovering, as an awkward teenager, a whole new world of folk music and hostelling at Tanners Hatch.

Nod is a first-rate story teller and Soul Music is always a good listen

This Saturday at 10.30 am. Radio 4

Will Ye Go Lassie Go?

31/08/2026

More fantastic generosity, this time from Sara who donated a van-load of furniture to help us fit out the hostel, and even helped to load it despite having two broken ribs! Massive thanks to her and to Rose, Jennie, Bert and Dave who carried out the collection for us. It’s brilliant that people are prepared to do so much, entirely voluntarily, to bring Tanners back ti life

26/08/2026

We’ve passed 200 followers! Thanks to you all and we can’t wait to see as many of you as possible at Tanners Hatch. Hopeful for good news about the lease soon

02/08/2026

Many thanks to the lovely Pauline and Ian at Ninebanks Hostel in Northumberland, which is sadly closing after 35 years of being run by the same family. They are rehoming their furniture and fittings and have generously given us bunks and other things we need to get up and running.

Massive thanks to Graham, Nick and Bert for making the long trip north and doing the heavy lifting!

Big thanks also to Judith and Nick Bullen for helping us out with storage space.

The amount of goodwill and voluntary effort this project is attracting is truly amazing.

20/07/2026

Here's a jolly crew at our first training weekend for potential volunteer wardens.

Wardens will be the key to making Tanners work, because, for guests, they will be its human face.

Do you fancy a free weeks in the Surrey Woods? Volunteer Wardens will spend a week at a time at Tanners to manage the hostel and support our guests. Simple accommodation at the hostel is provided. You will get to enjoy the serenity of Tanners’ tranquil setting away from the hubbub and give something back to this special place. Warden training is provided free of charge.

Do message us if you're interested, or have any questions

15/07/2026

We’ve been in touch with so many people who have helped us along the way. Here we have the local Councillors Phil Hammond and Chris Budleigh who came to visit and gave us invaluable advice about planning and funding issues. Then there’s Craig, from Williams Restoration who gave us advice on removing the current non-breathable paint and replacing it with paint that will help us maintain this historic building. We’d be stuck without people like this!

08/07/2026

Great work!

28/06/2026

Massive 50th anniversary congratulations to the gloriously inspiring team at Elenydd Wilderness Hostels - Dolgoch & Ty’n Cornel. You have helped us so much to secure Tanners Hatch. Here's to many, many more years for you. And here's to lots more simple Independent hostels too.