From stressed to serene at Thermae Bath Spa

As Christmas hurtles towards us, the added pressures of office party preparations, secret santa shopping and the Christmas leave battle can all take their toll on our stress levels.  Feeling frazzled, I booked a well-earned trip to the Thermae Bath Spa, the only place in Britain where you can marinate in naturally warm, mineral-rich waters.  What better place to seek sanctuary from the tinsel time of year.

rooftop pool, Thermae Bath Spa

Matt Cardy Thermae Bath Spa

On my way to the spa, I pass snowmen and Christmas market chalets stacked with eye-catching wares and make a mental note to pop back later.  After a Thai green curry and an indulgent slab of white chocolate cheesecake in the Springs café & restaurant, I don my robe and slippers.  The changing rooms are both functional and communal and I note with amusement that it’s not the fairer sex who are hogging the hairdryers.

My first port of call is the Minerva Bath where worryingly everyone appears to be clutching buoyancy aids.  Was there more to Minerva than met the eye?  Grabbing a foam tube, it suddenly all becomes clear as I join the gently drifting throng as we meander downstream with the pool’s gentle currents.  Bobbing along without a care in the world, I cruise into the whirlpool where I and my fellow bathers revel like Romans in an inner sanctum of blissful abandon.

Minerva Bath, Thermae Bath Spa

Dave Saunders Minerva Bath

My next stop is the steam rooms.  Hit by a wall of heat, my senses are suddenly heightened by the gentle drift of lotus flower wafting up from the ground.  Warming my bones, the grime of a hundred commutes slowly seeps out my skin.  After a quick blast, I cool off in the waterfall shower before venturing into the Lemongrass and Ginger steam room. The fragrance is gently invigorating and a great preparation for the Eucomenthol suite which feels like plunging into a tub of Vicks vaporub.  Blasting the tubes, the intense fragrance makes my teeth tingle.  Inhaling deeply, I feel intensely alert despite the balmy temperatures.

Thermae Spa

Matt Cardy Steam Rooms

Glowing and energised, it’s time for the rooftop pool.  Bracing the five degree chill, I quickly slip off my robe and slippers and launch into the steamy waters.  Once immersed into the warm bath, (average temperatures 44 – 46 C), I sink back to savour the stunning views across to the Abbey and the green rolling hills behind.  Watching the steam rise up against the sharp winter light, I experience the intense thrill of outdoor winter bathing

After a quick wallow, I head down to the lower ground floor for my initiation into wet treatments. Offering a double dose of pummelling from masseuse and water jets, the Hot Stones Vichy hydro-massage is particularly beneficial for those who spend their lives hunched over a PC.  It’s also great for reducing insomnia and aiding restful sleep.

Hot stones Vichy

Andy Short Hot Stones Vichy

Prostrating myself on the plastic, I brace myself for the water jets which I pray won’t be like my previous jet douche experience in France.   A steady warm rain splashes over me as the rhythmic sprinkler system gushes into action. Surprisingly relaxing, it feels like lying beneath a cascading waterfall.  While the jets power into action, the scrubbing starts on my legs and moves onto all exposed areas providing a double sensory thrill.

Squelching onto my front, I prepare for the hot stone massage.  The stones radiate an intensely soothing warmth which penetrates deep into my muscles as they glide in luxuriously long, sweeping strokes.  Cupboards bang open and shut above me as new stones are brought out.  While the tension is worked out of my back and shoulders, the sprays continue to massage my legs before the process is reversed.  I’m amazed to note that the same hot stones now feel cool on my legs, such is the force of the heat generated by the water jets.

Thermae Bath Spa Rooftop pool at dusk

Matt Cardy Thermae Bath Spa Rooftop pool at dusk

At the end of the session, my masseuse who amazingly has managed to stay dry throughout, informs me that I have a few nodules in my shoulders that could do with more attention.  All the excuse I need to justify a return visit.

By the time I leave at around 5.30pm, rush hour has hit the changing rooms as a tide of office workers swoops in. (Friday nights and weekends are the busiest, weekday mornings are quietest)  Having beaten the blokes to the hairdryers, I emerge scrubbed and serene, ready to get stuck into the Christmas market scrum. Perhaps I may even pick up that elusive Secret Santa gift after all.

My day pass and treatments were provided free of charge courtesy of Thermae Bath Spa.

The Thermae Bath Spa is open all year with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.  The Minerva Bath will be closed for essential maintenance from the 5th – 12th January 2015.  Opening times: 09.00 – 21.30

Where do you go to escape the stress of Christmas?

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