Swinton Estate opens £8m luxury spa

The Swinton+Estate'>Swinton Estate in North Yorkshire, one the UK’s largest privately-owned estates, has opened a new £8m luxury Spa.

The new Country Club and Spa is the vision of the estate’s owners Mark and Felicity Cunliffe-Lister – whose family has had ownership of the land and its properties since the 1880s.

Located near the town of Ripon, the 20,000-acre Swinton Estate houses a Grade II-listed, 32-bedroom boutique hotel, a country club, park land and nature walks which are open to the public and the Swinton Bivouac “glamping” site.

Designed by architects Bowman-Riley, the 2,000sq m (21,500sq ft) spa is situated at the estate’s country club, which incorporates renovated historic buildings within an original walled garden.

Facilities include nine treatment rooms – including two couple’s rooms – a private consultation space for wellbeing and nutrition, a 18m indoor swimming pool, a hydrotherapy pool for therapeutic bathing, steamroom for deep muscular relaxation and detoxification, an aroma steamroom using seasonal fragrances and a Finnish sauna.

Outside facilities include a secluded spa garden with herbal sauna and shower, a cedar hot tub and a 10m natural water swimming pool.

One of the estate’s original buildings has also been harnessed to house a “beauty cottage”, connected with the spa, offering manicures, pedicures and hair styling.

The spa’s holistic approach to wellness means that there is also a large health and fitness club, housing a gym area with cv and resistance stations, a functional fitness space and a group exercise studio. The club will offer a number of classes, from yoga and Pilates to spinning and circuit training.

The owners have worked together with UK product houses Elemis and Bamford to create a treatment menu which reflects the spa’s holistic focus. There is a full range of massages, body wraps and facials – including special treatments for pregnant women.

Adjacent to the spa is The Terrace restaurant, where spa guests can opt for a specially created menu, linking their nutritional wellness with their treatments.

Richard Macklin, formerly of senior director of Nirvana Spa & Leisure, has been appointed spa manager.

The spa will be open to day guests as well as guests of the estate’s 32-bedroom boutique hotel, Swinton Park.

Co-owner Felicity Cunliffe-Lister has been the driving force behind the spa and has worked closely with consultant and current vice chair of the UK Spa Association, Liz Holmes on the project.