CDT Cybersecurity 2025 Writing Retreat

A writing retreat to the De Vere Horsley Estate was recently organised for PhD students in their third and fourth years, often the most demanding stages of the doctoral journey. These students are navigating the intense pressures of completing research and writing up their theses, and the retreat was designed to offer a focused, supportive environment to help ease this challenging phase. 

In the lead-up to the retreat, many students shared that they were feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and disconnected from their work. The fast pace of city life, long hours indoors, and the solitary nature of academic research can easily take a toll. Escaping to the tranquillity of the countryside provided a much-needed shift in perspective. 

De Vere Horsley Estate offered the perfect setting for this change. Originally built in 1820 by Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament, the estate later became home to the Lovelace family, most notably Ada Lovelace. Her pioneering contributions to computing lent a meaningful historical resonance to our stay, especially given the tributes to her that are scattered throughout the estate grounds.  

Although we were provided with a dedicated workroom, the sunny weather drew most of us outdoors. Laptops were opened under the shade of trees, and writing sessions took place on lawns and garden benches. Each participant set personal goals for the retreat, whether that meant submitting a paper, drafting a thesis chapter, or hitting a daily word count. Writing a thesis can be a lonely process, but being surrounded by others facing similar challenges created a strong sense of camaraderie and mutual encouragement.  

We also recognised the importance of taking breaks to recharge. The surrounding countryside offered beautiful walking trails, including the Lovelace Bridges trail, which many of us explored between writing sessions. These walks sparked spontaneous conversations, fresh insights, and even a few moments of much-needed silence and reflection. 

By the end of the retreat, students had made meaningful progress: chapters were written, papers were submitted, and many left with a renewed sense of motivation. More than just a break from routine, the retreat reminded us of the value of connection, both to nature and to each other, in the process of writing something as monumental as a PhD thesis. 

Voices from the Retreat: 

Here’s what some of the attendees had to say about their experience: 

“Being with other people (both good for motivation and taking breaks together), working in a different space (the change of scenery massively helped), being close to nature/outside of London was massively helpful” 

“Getting away from campus really helped refocus and recenter the interest in my work, and meeting others who aren’t in the same office really brought a sense of camaraderie amongst the group.” 

“As a final year, I had been struggling with a bit of writer’s block, thanks to the retreat, I don’t have that problem anymore! I completed a big part of a forthcoming paper, and got way more work compared to what I usually get done on a daily basis (again, without getting burnt out).” 

“I worked on my publication - I’ve been struggling with outline of the approach, the retreat provided me with space to deeply focus and make significant progress. It was furthered by the ability to spend mornings and evenings in the nature surrounding the estate.”