BALANCE_WINTER_2024 - 132

NÀDARRA SPA, NORTH YORKSHIRE, UK
SALT, STEAM AND THE
QUEST FOR SOMETHING
A LITTLE DIFFERENT
If there is one word to describe The Coniston
Hotel, it's 'diverse'. The 1,400-acre North
Yorkshire estate (still owned by the Bannister
family) first opened to the public as a simple
farm shop, but now, as an overnight hotel guest,
I can choose to fish in the lake, try clay pigeon
shooting or go off-roading in a Land Rover. All
these appeal, but as it is a quick trip I only have
eyes for the award-winning Nàdarra Spa.
TWISTS ON SPA STAPLES
Set a few minutes' walk from the hotel - with
enviable views of said lake and undulating
countryside from its outdoor infinity pool -
Nàdarra is compact and well-designed, packing
in a gym, several treatment rooms and four pools.
Massage therapist Fan instantly whisks me
away for a full-body Revive & Tone Ritual
using Aromatherapy Associates products. This
invigorating treatment starts with a firm body
brushing, focusing on the back and legs, followed
by an exfoliating scrub then a mud mask so
lightly applied it feels like moisturiser. I am
almost disappointed to have to wash it off in the
private shower, but my reward is a beautifully
balanced massage that leaves my knotty officeworker-back
buttery soft. Post-treatment I
have two hours of spa access, so head straight to
HOW
TO GET
THERE
By car: The
hotel's postcode
is BD23 4EA
- it's just over
five hours from
London via the
A1 or M1.
By train: The
closest major
rail station is
Skipton, which is
a 15-minute taxi
drive away.
the aromatherapy steam room, but my head is
turned by the soothing Himalayan salt sauna, in
which a gentle 5% humidity bounces off honeycoloured
saline bricks. In the infrared sauna, I
place my back against a panel to heat my body,
while the air stays a pleasant 45°C. I can't say the
ice fountain is so agreeable, but it is fun.
However, I do feel disconcerted when I settle
down in the dry 75°C+ heat of the traditional
Finnish sauna, look through its full-glass frontage
at bathers enjoying an indoor hot tub, and realise
they can also see me. Better not get too relaxed!
ENJOYING THE VIEW
After freshening up with the Temple Spa minis
in my stunning twin Dales bedroom, I head
to flagship restaurant The View for dinner. Its
central open fire is blazing, and my salt-crusted
roast beef with seasonal veg followed by sticky
toffee pudding with a glass of Gavi finishes the
evening off nicely. It's too dark to see out of
the floor-to-ceiling windows, but tucking into
Yorkshire Breakfast the next day I admire the
view as the morning mist burns away.
Time's pressing, but I manage a quick hike
around the grounds before I need to check out.
Maybe on my next visit I'll sign up for fishing...
Reservations: From £229 for two in a Dales Room
on a room-only basis, spa access for a £30-£40
supplement | reservations@theconistonhotel.com
B
132
Words: Natalie Bowen
https://theconistonhotel.com/nadarra-spa/
BALANCE_WINTER_2024

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