About Us
Welcome to Melancoose ‘The Mill of the Wood’
Melancoose is a family-run woodland retreat and movement space tucked beside Porth Reservoir nature reserve two miles outside Newquay.
Once an old mill - now a calm, light-filled home for yoga, creative workshops, fitness classes, sauna sessions, community gatherings and slow, seasonal living. Our site holds a large barn studio, a warm farmhouse snug, a secluded woodland spa and an Endless Pool for private swim coaching and physiotherapy.
We believe in simple things done well: connection, nature, movement and space to breathe.
Whether you arrive for a class, a retreat, a swim, or an evening in the sauna, Melancoose is a place to arrive gently and leave feeling restored and quietly invigorated.
The name Melancoose comes from the Cornish for Mill of the Wood - a reflection of what this place continues to hold: wellbeing, creativity and movement, rooted in the landscape around it.
About Andy
Originally from Devon, Andy’s life has always revolved around the sea. He is one of the founders of Sea Lanes, the 50-metre open-water swimming pool on Brighton beach and the National Centre for Open Water Swimming - a community landmark since opening in 2023.
Andy brings extensive coaching experience across both pool and open water, alongside his work as a fitness coach specialising in surf strength and conditioning. His approach is intuitive and playful, helping people build confidence, connection and flow in movement - in and out of the water. He leads swim coaching in the new Melancoose Endless Pool through his coaching practice, Ocean Set.
Our Story
United by a love of the ocean, movement and time outdoors, Andy and Jojo created Melancoose as a place where wellbeing, creativity and fitness could come together - always rooted in nature.
After ten years immersed in Brighton’s sea-swimming, yoga and sauna community, they moved back to Cornwall to be closer to family and to live more closely with the elements. Surrounded by woodland, open sky and coastline, Melancoose has become their shared project: part retreat, part creative space, part way of life.
Meet the Founders
About Jojo
Jojo’s background sits in outdoor sport, marketing and communications. For over twelve years she has been co-owner and director of All Conditions Media, working with some of the world’s leading adventure & lifestyle brands.
A long-time yoga enthusiast with a passion for surfing, interiors, gardens and holistic living, Jojo brings a creative, sensory layer to Melancoose - shaping its creative vision and the aesthetic of the space. For her, Melancoose is a natural fusion of her lifelong interests: health, nature and creating environments that feel quietly restorative.
Together
Andy and Jojo built Melancoose as a reflection of how they live: grounded, active and close to the elements.
Sustainability has guided every step of the renovation - from natural sheep’s wool insulation and reclaimed wood throughout the interiors, to an air-source heat pump for the pool and carefully chosen pre-loved and salvaged furniture.