Editor Kelly Andrews shares her experience of Whittlebury Park’s ESPA Blissful Break Whittlebury Park’s spa facilities are designed to rejuvenate mind and body, with heat and ice experiences, soothing therapies and indulgent treatments from expert therapists. Our editor, Kelly Andrews, went along to Whittlebury Park for an ESPA Blissful Break. Read on to discover more. FIRST IMPRESSIONS I was wowed by the sheer scale of Whittlebury Park when I arrived and made my way to reception. Nestled in 700 acres of rural Northamptonshire countryside, there’s plenty here to see and do, whether you’re visiting for a family-moon or a couple’s getaway. But I was here to check out the spa, so I tried to remain focused and checked in before making a beeline there. After being warmly welcomed and given the lowdown, I settled in the Nova Bar with a cup of chamomile tea while I shook off the journey, taking in the Grecianinspired setting of statues, columns and murals. I’d already escaped to another world. HEAT AND ICE I was most excited to try out the spa’s heat and ice experiences, so I headed there first. I love a hydrotherapy pool and the one here was enough to keep me occupied for a while, with several sections each featuring a different water therapy, which my stiff neck was delighted with. Eventually tearing myself away from the warm therapeutic waters, I decided it was time to explore the hot and cold journey. This allows you to move between warm and hot rooms and cooling experiences, gradually raising your body temperature before bringing it back down. There’s no strict order, so you can basically do as you please. Not being a fan of extreme heat, I loved the Caldarium, which I found particularly calming and kept returning to. I’m also a fan of steam rooms, and having read that a Salt Steam Room is particularly good for skin hydration, I also made sure I spent some time there. I was still brave, though, and spent some time in both the traditional sauna and salt sauna. Being a winter bunny, I loved the cooling sensation of the experience showers and ice cave. Brief cold exposure once you’ve sampled the heat experiences is thought to constrict blood vessels, making you feel alert and invigorated. My ultimate hotspot for relaxation was the heated loungers designed to gently warm while you lie back and relax. But I couldn’t stay there all day, as it was time for lunch and I had plans to head to The Leisure Club afterwards. While you might be tempted to stay in the heat and ice experience all day, I’d recommend that you don’t miss The Leisure Club. There’s a 19-metre swimming pool, which is plenty big enough to do some laps should you wish, and bubble jets for when you’ve had enough. There’s also a Jacuzzi, salt sauna and steam room. I particularly liked this sauna as it had curved benches where you could recline, which somehow made me want to stay longer in the heat. Most importantly (for me), there are plenty of loungers, where you can chill out between dips with a book. A BITE TO EAT When I was told the lunch was a buffet, I was expecting a few pasta salads and some leaves. How wrong was I? The spa lunch here is a sight to behold with everything from cold starters to hot mains and sweet desserts – basically, a bit of Fire & ice 88
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