A drumming circle by the hearth
Where rhythm meets homecoming at Bristol’s Boiling Wells.
This circle has two faces, and both are sacred.
In the warmer months, we gather outside around the firepit, under open sky, in the dappled light of the Boiling Wells woodland courtyard. In the colder months, we move inside to the warmth of the barn, where the log burner crackles and the drums echo off the timber walls.
The circle breathes with the seasons. What stays constant is the heartbeat.
If the weather turns, we move into the barn; this circle runs rain or shine.
Summer: fire under open sky
From late spring through to early autumn, the circle spills outside into the Boiling Wells courtyard, ringed by woodland and the scent of blossom. We drum around the outdoor firepit as the evening light fades through the trees.
There is something about drumming under open sky. The smoke rises. The birds settle. Women arrive carrying the weight of their week and leave feeling lighter.
This is the circle at its most elemental.
Winter: the candlelit barn
From autumn into winter, we draw inward, gathering inside the Boiling Wells barn where the log burner holds the warmth and the timber walls hold the sound. The drums feel different here; fuller, more resonant, the rhythm contained and amplified.
The hearth has always been where women gathered to tend the flames of story, song, and belonging. By drumming here through the darker months, we honour that lineage and keep the fires lit.
Why the hearth calls us back
The hearth is where women have gathered to tend the flames of story, song, and belonging.
In our busy modern lives, we crave this return to the primal, the intimate, the sacred.
What’s Included?
A welcoming circle for women of all experience levels
Drums and rattles available to borrowFire, inside or out depending on the season
Sacred space for release, reflection, and connection
Tea and snacks
This is drumming as homecoming - a chance to slow down, listen to your body’s wisdom, and be held by women who understand.
Reserve your place in our circle. Tickets from £14-£18
Due to the intimate nature of our gatherings and the limited space in the barn, early registration is recommended
Firepit outside the barn, lovely in the summer months
“Ruth creates a welcoming, safe space to connect with other women and release your tension in an ancient, primal way. A unique experience in Bristol with like minded people, I’m totally hooked and it’s going to be a monthly ritual for me!”
Across cultures, the hearth was the heart of the home - a place where women gathered to work, grieve, celebrate, and pass down wisdom. By drumming here, we honour that lineage and tend new flames of connection for women today.
What to bring
Your drum or rattle if you have one (some available to borrow). Cosy layers; even in summer, evenings at Boiling Wells can be cool once the sun drops. An open heart. A journal if you like as many women find the circle stirs things worth capturing.
Interested in finding your own shamanic drum?
I have a small selection of vegan shamanic drums available to try at my home in Bristol. These are handmade instruments with incredible sound quality and healing power - the same maker as my green drum. Find out more →
“It was truly amazing to connect with women that I had nothing in common with and yet, Ruth created such a beautiful safe space for us all to express, connect, release and feel held by one another. Highly recommend.”
Would you like to go deeper in Circle?
The drum circle is a taste of what becomes possible when women gather in sacred space. But sometimes one evening a month isn't enough. Sometimes the work wants more room.
Bone Deep Women's Circle gives it that room. Six evenings where we slow down, go beneath the surface, and let the old wisdom settle into your bones. This summer we journey with Áine, Irish goddess of the land, the sun, and embodied sovereignty, exploring what it means to remember your body as sacred territory.
Two circles to choose from, starting in St George, Bristol in May.
Accessibility
Boiling Wells is a sloping woodland site. The terrain can be challenging, especially if the ground is wet after heavy rainfall.
The path along the lower level of Boiling Wells (towards the Barn and Outdoor Kitchen area) has a woodchipped surface and and is not completely level. Wheelchair users would likely need support to navigate this. There is an accessible toilet on this path (assistance bars have not yet been fitted, although there are plans to do this in the future).
The main entrance to the Barn building is accessed via wooden steps.
Boiling Wells Lane is a private road and parking there is not allowed, so please a park on either Watercress Road or Hopetoun Road (it’s a couple of minutes walk from there to the site).
If you need access to the site for accessibility reasons, please get in touch with me directly and I can support this.
Or perhaps you’d like to work 1-1?
Sometimes a drum circle awakens something that wants more space.
You arrive, you drum, you sit with women, something moves in you that you haven't felt in years. And then you drive home and you think: there's more here. There's something asking for more space, more time, more attention than a circle can hold.
Or perhaps you already know you're carrying something that needs tending. Something in the body, in your lineage, in the parts of you that have been quiet for too long.
That's what 1-1 sessions are for.
We work individually, at your pace, with sound healing, somatic practice, IFS parts work, and ancestral healing; going into the places that group work can gesture towards but can't always reach.
Sessions are available face to face in Bristol and online for women anywhere in the world.
