Suzanne Elsworth and Sarah Lomax sample the delights of The Spa at Armathwaite Hall, on the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake.

Pick a superlative, any superlative, and you’ll be well on the way to describing The Spa at Armathwaite Hall.

It may sound a little gushing, but as you arrive in the tranquil reception area, with its glowing water feature, then head upstairs to the hub of the complex with its glass atrium and towering wood burning stove, ‘wow’ is the only word on your lips. Then the smiles of the other guests assure you you’re not the only one to be thrilled that this is where you’re going to spend the next few hours.

It’s a place you can do as little or as much as you like. There is a gym and fitness studio, but we were heading straight for relaxation – and that meant the pool, sauna, aroma and steam room, and hydrotherapy bath. But the biggest attraction on a gorgeous summer day had to be the outdoor hot tub. You look over the gardens, with their historic trees, and deer sculptures peering from the shrubbery. It’s a place to chat or simply stare into space, in warm, bubbling comfort.

The morning passed all too quickly, then we headed indoors to experience The Spa’s signature treatments. Sarah chose a Just Be Anti-Aging Facial, while I went for the Just Be Armathwaite Organic Prescriptive back, neck and shoulder massage.

What Sarah loved was the fact her therapist didn’t leave her alone for a minute. There was no ‘apply a mask and leave you to relax’. The hands-on treatment, with the lightest of touches, continued for the full 45 minutes.

I declared the massage as ‘the best yet’ with the question: ‘Are you sure you’ve only got two hands?’ Therapist Becky fulfilled a request for pressure just on the right side of pain, in the hope of easing some very tense, stressed shoulders - and she succeeded.

And the relaxation doesn’t stop there. After your treatment you’re tucked into cosy faux fur covers on wicker steamer chairs in the ‘hush room’ and fed smoothies, water and cake. Then you sit and watch those impressive trees sway outside the glass doors of the balcony and, for a while, all is right with the world. Our only regret? We didn’t make time for lunch.

Armathwaite Hall Country House Hotel and Spa, Bassenthwaite Lake, Keswick, CA12 4RE.