Llanrhaeadr Springs Spa offers many ways to unwind, writes Janet Reeder
There are spas to suit everyone, from the urban techie salon that can do face fillers in your lunch hour, to chill-out retreats where you can lose yourself for a few hours - or even days.
Nestled in the North Wales countryside, Llanrhaeadr Springs sits between the two of these. You can wind through the awesome landscape on a mission to unwind, or you can head here for a mini facial or a manicure before lunch in the adjacent restaurant.
Llanrhaeadr Springs is a spa and bridal venue, created in the old outbuildings of Llanrhaeadr Hall.The hall is now a nursing home but the barn, coach house and Dovecot have undergone a transformation thanks to owner George Henry Barker who bought them in 2015.
Arriving on a cold wintery day, the spa is a welcoming sight. Perched on land in front of the coach house are shepherd huts which provide comfy if slightly unconventional accommodation for those wishing to stay over.
Step inside and there’s a spacious reception area where you can relax and fill in the checklists necessary before treatments. On my visit I was accompanied by my friend Mrs B, although the beauty of spas is the fact you can go there solo and indeed there were women on their own when we visited. This would be a great place to head to if you didn’t want to join your other half in an activity but wanted to meet up later for dinner. In my case I was escaping an afternoon of rugby on the TV and catching up with my chum.
We were shown to the changing room and to baskets filled with a robe, towel and flip-flops, then headed to the cosy pool. I love the way the exposed brickwork and beams of the original building remain but that the pool is high tech. The water is warm and soothing; around the edge are buttons to generate massage jets of water, or activate the Jacuzzi bath.
We took a glass of fizz poolside pre-treatments and enjoyed being massaged by the water and getting sweaty in the sauna before heading to the treatment rooms.
Mrs B enjoyed an aromatherapy massage from a therapist who clearly knew what she was doing, ensuring that she was using the correct pressure, while I experienced a Discovery Facial using Thalgo products, which harness the riches of the sea.
My therapist performed the cleansing, toning and exfoliating ritual with an assured firm but gentle pressure. I soon felt myself drifting off to sleep. I confessed this afterwards as if my facialist hadn’t noticed the snoring.‘We consider it a compliment’ she said kindly.
This happened during the relaxing massage which follows the application of a face mask and before this pick-me-up facial ends with an application of face and eye cream, all of which helped my skin feel glowing and silky smooth.
The spa offers a wide range of treatments suited to clients’ needs and skin types, including a one hour 10 minutes superlift facial for more mature skins and a MCEUTIC: Renovation Radicale, cosmecutical treatment, which targets skin irregularities such as pigmentation, acne scarring, blemishes and uneven skintone. There are holistic treatments and an acupuncture therapist to administer this specialist treatment.
You can leave the spa with nails polished, body waxed, buffed and relaxed. There are spa packages for the Llanrhaeadr bride and her entourage to enjoy too and, of course, there’s the glorious scenery surrounding the location that makes it all rather special.
Spa Discovery facial, £32.50 for 25 minutes
Aromatherapy message, £39 for 25 minutes
Springs Spa, Stable Yard Llanrhaeadr, LL16 4NL 01745 775751 www.springs-spa.co.uk
