We love London but the daily grind definitely takes it toll so where do you go when you need to relax? A spa, obvs, and our latest mini-break took us Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa for some R&R. It’s a two hour drive or an hour’s train ride from London, meaning it’s far away enough that you feel like you’ve gone on a proper break – hello rolling Leicestershire countryside – but close enough that it’s totally doable in a weekend.
Lots of traditional elements from Ragdale’s time as a country house have been preserved, like the Victorian architecture and oak panelling in the dining room, making for an interesting mix with the more modern areas, like the Verandah Bar and of course, the state-of-the-art spa facilities. The Health Hydro and Thermal Spa bit of their name should give you a clue as to what they specialise in here. There’s an indoor/outdoor pool with lots of jets and waterfalls (yes you can go outside at night and it’s all lit up), a jacuzzi and a separate exercise pool for when you want to get those lengths in. You’ve also got five different saunas and steams to choose from, including a volcanic salt bath and a rose sauna, and a candle pool, which is a twinkly light-filled cavern and basically the most gorgeous bath you’ll ever have.
[URIS id=95929]The rest of the facilities live up to that same standard. There’s a gym and two fitness studios, which host everything from yoga to ballet toning to spin, plus tennis courts and mountain bikes should you want to do your exercise outside. There’s even a dedicated sleep room… anywhere that sets aside places to nap is defo our kinda place.
You’re well covered in terms of beauty too with a hair studio, an express salon where you can get quick things like eyebrow shaping without having to book in advance, and a beauty shop where you can stock up on the products used in your treatments. And boy, the treatments are GOOD. We went for a 50 minute Blissful Face & Back Therapy… all our back tension has gone, our skin is clean and clear and we didn’t want it to end.
Although it’s all about promoting wellbeing, Ragdale Hall isn’t the kind of spa to deny you when it comes to food; so yes they serve desserts, they serve wine, and they even have a full-on roast on Sundays. There’s a great spread, from salads and light dishes at the buffet-style lunch right through to proper three-course dinners, and you can totally eat all your meals in your robe and flip flops which is exactly what we did.
[URIS id=95933]As if all of that wasn’t enough, work is underway at Ragdale Hall on even more facilities, including a rooftop infinity pool… we think we just found our reason to go back.
Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa, Ragdale Village, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 3PB
ragdalehall.co.uk