Vacay

 

This week is more like a TripAdvisor review. I apologise for those wanting my weight loss journal but I must tell you about this gem of a place we stayed in this week. 

Swinton estates is 20,000 acres near Masham, outside Ripon in North Yorkshire. Our wooden lodge in the middle of the woods was cute and rustic. Our bed was at the top of a wooden ladder on the mezzanine. There were sheep skins and blankets and hot water bottles. The lodge has no electricity but uses candles for light, wood burner for heat and gas for cooking on a hob. Outside there was a hot tub, deck chairs, a double hammock and picnic table. Fairy lights in every nook. We were on the couple retreat package which included a bottle of prosecco, dinner one night, breakfast every morning and two sessions in the spa.

Dinner, we picked the night we arrived, we were collected and returned by car to the main hotel about 4 miles away. It was delicious, really scrummy - spicy chicken with beans and stuff. We moved outside into the garden for cheese and biscuits. (See pic above) Again there were sheep skins and blankets provided, though the evening was lovely and warm. 

Breakfast in the cafe was a short walk through a field. Bella loved it. Mark had and enormous bacon sarnie and I had yogurt and granola with banana, coconut, dark chocolate and hazelnuts. Wow! This was just awesome. The best yogurt and granola ever!

The spa had a pool and outdoor natural pool. This was cold but the nice kind of cold where you take a few deep breaths then it feels lovely. There was outside beds with sheep skins, duvets and blankets. The thermal spa had a couple of saunas and a couple of steam rooms. A small warm pool with lots of buttons for jets and bubbles. Also hot and cold foot spas. 

One of the saunas was alfresco. Round the corner was an outside nook with seating and (yes you got it) sheep skins, blankets and cushions. A wood burner for the evenings and winter days. So discrete and cosy. Everywhere there were buttons to push and a 'spa host' would appear to take your drinks or food order. We did have glasses of bubbly whilst chilling out. So relaxing. 

We had such an amazing three days at Swinton and we will definitely be going back. Loads of trails to walk and close to Ripon and Harrogate, both lovely for a visit. More pics below.

PS at the spa I saw a woman I recognised, was sure she was an actress. Then I noticed her companion was Maxine Peake. I googled her friend and I think I found her name but have since forgotten lol. 

I need six months of holiday, twice a year.