PROMOTION:
C-Side Spa, Cowley Manor
What you can expect from your spa day with JANET BRICE who ventured into the Gloucestershire countryside to find out more…
At this time of year who could possibly resist a 90-minute Green & Spring Repair and Restore Ritual at one of Britain’s top spas?
As I turned off the frenetic A417 from London I immediately found myself bouncing down a quiet country track towards Cowley Manor – a boutique-style hotel and spa which lies in 55-acres of lush gardens overlooking its own lake.
As the lane snaked towards the manor house, built in 1855 in the style of an Italianate villa, I dodged pheasants darting in and out of the hedgerows – a sight you don’t see too often in the city!
Turning into the driveway, and through the wrought iron gates, it immediately felt like I was entering another world away from the stresses and strains of everyday life.
And this is precisely why so many people seek out Cowley Manor – to repair and restore and to get back in touch with nature.
GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH NATURE AT COWLEY MANOR
It’s also a million miles away from the traditional country retreat as it’s not only a fusion of old and new – contemporary decor mixes effortlessly with the historic architecture – but is renowned for being one of the few family-friendly hotel spas in the UK.
This is immediately obvious when you see the multi-colour line-up of wellie boots outside the front door awaiting to be used by the young and old to explore the beautiful gardens.
You’ll find no “keep off the grass” signs at this spa hotel. And the reason Cowley manages to combine this cool, contemporary chic with being a home-away- from- home is down to its visionary owners Jessica and Peter Frankopan.
After finding Cowley it took a further three years to restore it to its former glory, and the hotel and spa opened for business in 2002 and now is preparing to open a new restaurant and boasts the cult retail store The Hambledon.
Jessica and Peter, who run A Curious Group of Hotels, have painstakingly used local materials such as Cotswold slate and stone to line the modernist-inspired award- winning pool and spa house.
C-Side Spa is situated away from the main manor house and is a short walk past the old stables block which has now been converted into rooms. From a distance you can just make out the flat living roof of the spa as it has been integrated into the lay of the land.
GREEN & SPRING RANGE OF NATURAL SKINCARE
Their successful Green & Spring range of natural skincare, bath and body products was inspired by England’s glorious flora and fauna. The chemical-free botanical range is infused with extracts of herbs and flowers such as lavender, camomile, rosemary, red clover, elderflower, dandelion, fennel and rose, inspired by the kitchen and landscaped gardens at Cowley but also by the hedgerows and native blooms. Spring water from the estate is used in the aqueous-based products in the range.
Their successful Green & Spring range of natural skincare, bath and body products was inspired by England’s glorious flora and fauna. The chemical-free botanical range is infused with extracts of herbs and flowers such as lavender, camomile, rosemary, red clover, elderflower, dandelion, fennel and rose, inspired by the kitchen and landscaped gardens at Cowley but also by the hedgerows and native blooms. Spring water from the estate is used in the aqueous-based products in the range.
A white fluffy bathrobe is a pre-requisite for any spa treatment and tucked in my spacious locker was exactly that (there is just no excuse for cream, linen robes!) and a warm, slate floor led me towards my therapist. The treatment room was large with one wall decorated in the colourful array of English birds from the Green & Spring range.
While I settled down on the couch I was offered a music menu, which included everything from Norah Jones to Coldplay and started to feel this was going to be a bespoke massage tailored to both my health and emotional needs.
Relaxing in the spa over a healthy lunch of Char-grilled English Channel squid with butternut squash, I felt a calmness which had not only come from the exquisite treatment but also from my idyllic surroundings.
THE HAMBLEDON SHOP AT COWLEY MANOR
