bolt hole
/ˈboʊlt ˌhoʊl/
noun
- A place where someone can escape to for safety or privacy, especially when they are in trouble or need to get away from a difficult situation.
- After a stressful week, she retreated to her cottage in the mountains as a bolt-hole.
- The basement served as a bolt-hole during the storm.
- He keeps a small apartment in the city as a bolt-hole when he needs to be alone.