New £12 million wellness spa opens at Aldwark ManorLocal hotel spa named best in UKHarrogate clinic to close amid ‘challenging economic climate’Should we do more to ‘put the spa back into Harrogate’?Did you know there’s a hidden Spa Room in Harrogate’s Turkish Baths?

Everyone knows about the Victorian Turkish Baths in Harrogate, but did you know that there’s more rest and relaxation to be had in the somewhat secret Spa Room?

An overview of the baths

Harrogate is known for its Turkish Baths: visitors and residents alike have flocked to them since 1897. Indeed, residents of Harrogate are lucky to live in a town that still has Victorian baths – only seven that date back to the 19th century remain today. The baths are run by Harrogate Borough Council.

What’s it like to visit the Turkish Baths?

Turkish Baths

(Image: Harrogate’s Turkish Baths)

The baths are a place where you can fully immerse yourself for a few hours of total relaxation with no phones allowed.

Visit the steam room, the three hot rooms that gradually increase in heat all the way up to 70 degrees, the cold invigorating plunge pool to dip into between the rooms – or swim if you’re brave enough, as well as a rest area, and winter garden lounge where you can order food and drink.

This is all to the backdrop of impressive ornate Moorish-style décor, Italian mosaic terrazzo floors, walls of vibrant glazed brickwork and arabesque painted ceilings.

But where’s the hidden Spa Room in the Turkish Baths?

(Image: Spa Room – David Lindsay, photosbydavid.co.uk)

Tucked away around the corner inside the main Turkish Baths, there’s a Spa Room that features a Jacuzzi, aromatherapy steam room, foot spas and cold bucket shower that not many people are aware of.

It can either be booked in conjunction with a Turkish Baths session to extend the time you’re at the Turkish Baths, or it can be used before or after a treatment.

It costs just £10 for 1.5 hours and up to six people can use the room.

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Harrogate’s Rudding Park expansion approved

Councillors have approved plans by Rudding Park Hotel and Spa near Harrogate to a build a new golf clubhouse, family hub and four tennis courts and reinstate a walled garden.

North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee met in Northallerton this morning to consider the application, which the resort said will result in an additional 75 full-time jobs and lead to an extra £14.3 million being spent in the local area every year.

Planning documents said the current clubhouse was originally built as a temporary facility but had outgrown its useful life and “considerably discredits the course”.

The new two-storey building will include swimming pools, restaurants, a gym and changing rooms.

How the new clubhouse will look.

Another visual of the new clubhouse.

Simon Mackaness, owner of Rudding Park, told councillors the scheme would secure the future of the business.

He said:

“As owners, this application presents our family’s commitment to securing the long-term future of the site. The plans have been subject to much discussion with officers and consultees. It presents a unique opportunity to build on our past successes and provide high-quality facilities.”

The buildings will be constructed to the BREEAM ‘excellent’ environmental standard to put them in the top 10% of new buildings in the country.

Andy Brown, the Green Party councillor for Aire Valley, praised the scheme’s eco credentials.

He said:

“All too often we see developers pay lip service to biodiversity, sustainability and good design. I looked at this with a critical eye on those issues and was happy with what I saw.”

Green belt concerns

Rudding Park is a sprawling 300-acre estate three miles south of Harrogate. But because it sits on green belt land, planning policy only permits development in “very special circumstances”.

Neil Swannick, the Labour councillor for Whitby Streonshalh, said the positives did not outweigh the harm of building on the green belt.

He said:

“The economic benefits for the area are substantial, I recognise that, but will I support the building of a county club on the green belt? No, I won’t.”

However, Andrew Lee, the Conservatives and Independents group councillor for Appleton Roebuck and Church Fenton,  argued the strict tests for building on green belt had been met.

He said:

“Yes, it’s in the green built but Rudding Park is an important local site and they’ve demonstrated a commitment to sustainable development.

“The economic benefits mean more jobs for the local area, a £14m additional boost to local economy and securing the site for future generations and users. Taking all those things into account, I’m comfortable that the impact on the green built has been sufficiently mitigated.”

Councillors voted to approve the application with conditions by 12 votes to 1.

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Hotels in Harrogate district jump on rising ‘ecotherapy’ trend

In the past few weeks, three local hotels have opened new outdoor spa experiences to customers.

Swinton Estate, Grantley Hall and Rudding Park are hoping to attract guests with the promise of ‘reconnecting with nature’.

In June, Swinton Estate offered up a new wild swimming experience in its private lake at the heart of the hotel’s grounds.

A week later Grantley Hall opened a ‘Nordic spa garden’ complete with outdoor ice baths and a sauna for immersion therapy.

Gillian McGraffin, spa and wellness manager at Grantley Hall’s Three Graces Spa, said:

“With the increasing trend of cold-water immersion therapy making more noise in the wellness space recently, we knew that we wanted to offer guests something new that had many incredible health benefits.”

Shortly after Grantley announced this new spa addition, Rudding Park opened a woodland spring bathing experience, equipped with mineral-enriched freshwater tubs.

Sarah Johnson, head of the hotel’s spa, said:

“Woodland spring bathing is a wonderful way to relax; the stillness of the water promotes a sense of calm, heightening the connection with nature.

“Offering guests something new and embracing our natural environment is really important.”

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All three additions demonstrate the increasingly popularity of outdoor spa and wellness experiences – often referred to under the broader term of ‘ecotherapy’.

It encompasses a number of therapies and practices which promote interactions with nature as valuable tools for improving psychological and physiological health.

The demand for outdoor spa experiences has grown significantly since covid.

According to data collected by the People and Nature Survey last year, nearly half of adults in England spent more time outdoors than they did before the pandemic. Meanwhile, 39% also said that after the pandemic, nature and wildlife had become more important than ever to their well-being

Commenting on the trend, Ms Johnson told the Stray Ferret:

“The popularity of embracing the outdoors to boost well-being shows no sign of slowing down.”

Plans submitted to extend Grade II listed Knaresborough hotel

An application has been submitted to create more bedrooms at Knaresborough’s Dower House Hotel, including a rear extension

The plans, put forward by the Inn Collection Group (ICG), include changing the internal layout and creating a new portico entrance.

As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, the gym and spa have closed as ICG, which acquired the Grade II listed building in December, said they made the hotel less viable.

In the application, ICG said:

“Information contained on the company’s website demonstrates the sensitive design approach adopted for ICG facilities, staying true to the characteristic of each individual property.

“It is also worth highlighting that ICG is custodian to at least 12 listed buildings across its growing portfolio of inns, with many others at least in conservation areas, and sensitively restoring and celebrating these historic buildings is central to its customer experience and business philosophy.

“ICG is, therefore, familiar with the sensitivities surrounding heritage assets with the business model adapted to the characteristics and value of specific buildings.

“The works proposed at The Dower House Inn form part of a plan to upgrade and refurbish the existing site to provide essential maintenance to the building and its setting whilst improving its functionality for the benefit of its customers.

“This will ensure the business is viable and sustainable, in turn securing the preservation of the listed building for the future. The works proposed will reflect approaches taken across other sites, with the replacement of finishes and external and internal alterations sensitively incorporating existing features of the listed building and its setting.”

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The planned extension would see an extra 27sq m of floor space created on top of the existing 2,287sq m, as the new owners create more bedrooms in the area which formerly housed the gym and spa.

Internal walls would be moved and new windows created in order to create 16 additional bedrooms. The plan would also see an extra six car parking spaces created, bringing the total to 58.

The ICG application added:

“The proposal will upgrade the hotel, increasing visitors and encouraging overnight stays. This will facilitate a degree of growth and job creation, and thus will support the economic and social wellbeing of Knaresborough, an established main settlement.

“The principle of development is, therefore, considered acceptable as it presents an opportunity to enhance the site within the confines of its heritage context, thereby supporting the tourism industry, economic growth, and prosperity of town centres.”

To view or comment on the application, visit Harrogate Borough Council’s planning website and use reference 22/01750/LB.

Knaresborough’s Dower House accelerates closure of spa and gym

Members of Knaresborough’s Dower House gym and spa have been told that the facilities will close next month, seven weeks earlier than originally planned.

The Stray Ferret reported last month the gym and spa were closing after the hotel was acquired by the Inn Collection Group (ICG) in December last year.

At the time the group said the gym and spa, which includes a swimming pool and sauna and provides beauty treatments, would close on August 31 as part of a “multi-million pound expansion” plan.

However, letters sent to members this week said the facilities will now close on July 11. Kate Bentley, rooms director for ICG, said the closure was brought forward due to a decline in users and rising operating costs.

She said:

“Since buying The Dower House in December 2022 we have spent a lot of time familiarising ourselves with the hotel and surrounding area while meeting and listening to customer feedback.

“Dower House — including the spa — is in desperate need of investment which is long-overdue. We have made the decision to accelerate the closure of this part of the hotel.

“We appreciate this may be disappointing for spa users, however we look forward to carrying out a significant investment in the building that a wide range of people can enjoy.”

The ICG has said that all Dower House members who chose to move to the Crown Hotel in Boroughbridge could have their joining fee waived. The Boroughbridge hotel is part of the Coaching Inn Group and also has gym, pool and spa facilities.

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Michael Ward, a member, said:

“I am disappointed at the closure, and the way it has been handled. The first I knew about it was when the story appeared on the Stray Ferret. I am not impressed with the Inn Collection Group.

“I will therefore not be taking up their offer of joining the Crown Hotel at Boroughbridge, despite the joining fee being waived. It’s disappointing because the Dower House is the only facility of its kind in Knaresborough.”

‘Lifeline’ Dower House gym and spa in Knaresborough to close

Members at Dower House gym and spa in Knaresborough have spoken of their upset at the news the facility is to close.

The 15th century hotel on Bond End was acquired by the Inn Collection Group in December 2021.

The group has confirmed the gym and spa, which includes a swimming pool and sauna and provides beauty treatments, will close on August 31 as part of a “multi-million pound expansion” plan.

Rooms director at ICG, Kate Bentley, apologised for the news leaking out prior to members receiving official confirmation.

The Stray Ferret has spoken to many members upset at the loss of the facility.

Karina Ingh, has been using the gym every day for six months and said she was “disappointed” by the way the news had been handled:

“We were promised this amazing refurbishment and yet they’ve chosen to close the gym and spa with no member consultation.

“It’s their business model and I understand that, but some members have been there for 30 years — it’s a lifeline for them.”

Ms Ingh, who said she believes the gym has 500 members and 10 staff, is concerned about the lack of similar facilities nearby. She said she had been looking at other gyms but none had the same spa facilities or community feel:

“Some people use it every day like me and can just walk or car pool together. I’m disappointed that they are taking a really well-used facility away. It’s a total loss.”

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Fellow member Suzanne Longson echoed Ms Ingh’s concerns about the lack of similar facilities nearby:

“Whilst I understand that things change, I don’t think the new owners realise how unique the gym is. Throughout lockdown we messaged each other regularly, offered help to our elders and made sure they were OK. We’ve supported each other through illness, loss and bereavement.

“There is a big social aspect for a lot of the members who live alone, who pop down for a cuppa and a chat, and are given that time. Knaresborough is about to lose yet another local facility to the big boys, and it’s a shame.”

‘Valuable social interaction’

Chris Souter also described the place as a “lifeline”:

“I am 77 in June, and it has been a lifeline since lockdown, enabling me to take regular exercise. It has also been a valuable opportunity for social interaction and relaxation.”

Another member, Chris Coggan, criticised the way the group had handled the closure decision:

“I am absolutely gobsmacked that this is being done without any consultation with staff or members. I feel it is a much used community resource with obvious health and social benefits, providing a lifeline for many if its members. I urge the new owners to reconsider their decision and think about the effect this will have on the local community.”

Kate Bentley, at ICG, said rising costs had contributed to the closure decision:

“We’re hoping in the long run it’s positive news for the town and will become a much more welcoming space for non-residents.

“We just can’t see a way to make the spa and its space viable in the long run. We appreciate it will be a loss to local people but the investment plan we have will hopefully make the site profitable again.”

As well as the leisure facilities, the Grade II listed building has 38 bedrooms, several bars, lounges and function areas.

The Inn Collection Group also recently acquired Harrogate’s St George Hotel and Ripon’s Spa Hotel.