16 New Year, Fresh Start Travel — spa & wellness Soothing staycations


Treat yourself to a rustic retreat that’s gentle on Mother Earth with these five sustainable UK countryside hotels. Words: Andy Hill


getaway. We’ve made a list of the coolest staycation spots where you can unwind and get your mojo back, without it needing to cost the earth.


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The one for wild swimming Set in a stately Neo-Jacobean pile once favoured by Winston Churchill, South Lodge in Horsham, West Sussex announced its certification as a B Corp in 2021. What does that mean? It means the hotel is fully dedicated to environmental responsibility. So there’s EV charging points, electric tuk-tuks to whisk you around, a ground source heat pump to reduce reliance on gas, and wild swimming with natural filtration. At Botanica, the zero-waste spa restaurant, you’ll dine on ‘wasted burgers’ made with pulp from the morning’s juices. Tey even recycle flip-flops into building materials. Did we mention the views are gorgeous?


The one for adults-only luxury Perched dramatically on a Cornish clifftop, Te Scarlet in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall is so committed to sustainability they’ll give you a discount if you rock up by EV or


ow the January blues have well and truly begun to set in, you’re probably thinking about your next


train. Making the most of its stellar location, most windows are floor-to- ceiling offering unobstructed views of gorgeous Mawga-n Porth beach and the roiling Atlantic beyond. It’s a short stroll to the Bedruthan Steps, but if you’d rather keep it cosy, the Scarlet’s ayurvedic-inspired spa is lantern-lit, offering facials using wild-crafted lotions and tinctures. Don’t miss their twin log-fired clifftop hot tubs.


The one for ethical fine dining Formerly of the three-Michelin-starred L’Enclume in Cumbria, the Torridon’s celebrated head chef, Paul Green, sources two-thirds of produce for the Scottish hotel’s restaurant from a two-acre kitchen garden. Meat, meanwhile, is sourced from the stags and cattle that roam the nearby pine-scented Munros that surround the stately baronial lodge with its Hogwarts-style towers. Single-use plastic is banned, heating comes from local biomass, water from an on-site borehole, and cleaning products are chemical-free.


The one for glamping Tis upmarket cluster of lodges, villas and tents set in Lincolnshire’s Woodhall Spa (which itself is located within a 45-acre eco park) is tailor- made to help you reconnect with


nature. Cleverly constructed with a fusion of gabion walls — essentially nets holding together low-impact local stone — reclaimed wood and man-made hillocks are seeded with poppies and other wildflowers. Pools have efficient heat pumps, while Chelsea Flower Show gold-medal winning landscape designer Jody Lidgard oversees a reforestation and rewilding programme to plant over 1,500 trees. It’s also dog-friendly and great for groups.


The one for spectacular scenery A proper authentic off-grid retreat, Te Salthouse is a gorgeous seaside spot overlooking the dinky village of Ballycastle in Northern Ireland. It features eco-lodges powered entirely through a mixture of on-site solar and an impressive 225kw wind turbine, LED lighting throughout and individually controlled radiators — way more efficient than the norm — plus a total ban on single-use plastic. Food miles are kept low by a restaurant that leans heavily on produce from the sea: think loin of cod with a brown shrimp and samphire risotto. Plus, you’re not far from the Giant’s Causeway, and various Game of Trones filming locations. But you may as well stay in your room, what with winter still very much coming.


Promotional Content • Saturday 14th January 2023


The Scarlet, Cornwall


South Lodge, West Sussex


Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire


Castel Monastero, Siena, Italy C


Guests can enjoy foraging for


porcini mushrooms and truffles in the


forest, which is only a minute’s walk away


astel Monastero is mentioned for the first time, under the name of Sarna, in 1044.


Afterwards, from 1050, it is cited more often with the name of Monastero in connection with nearby Berardenga Abbey. It was besieged without success by the Florentines in 1208 and conquered in 1270 by Guido di Montfort, who used it as an outpost against the city of Siena. It was later bought by the noble Sienese Chigi Saracini family and became their country house. Nestled in a land of history, Castel


Monastero now has a lavish 16,146sq ft spa and is embraced by a centu- ry-old forest in a fabulous location. In less than a minute guests can walk to the truffle venue and forest for fantastic porcini mushroom hunting, truffle hunting, trekking in marked trails, a meditation walk, a guided walking tour of three castles, quad bike adventure and a biking tour through a winery. Tere’s also hot-air ballooning and horse-riding, as well as cooking classes on site. Castel Monastero is a monastery


of wellbeing, where you can culti- vate the present moment through the peacefulness of the magical forest and aromatic garden. Guests can pick their own herbs to blend into an infu- sion before indulging in a one-of-a- kind berber ritual, marma energising massage or forest oak treatment. Two unique restaurants in Castel


Monastero spotlight authentic Tuscan flavours and scents. In La Cantina restaurant there’s a strict use


of local products with zero food miles, so the ingredients’ purity and fresh- ness shine through, unadulterated by complex processing. Contrada restau- rant has a more structured approach; the menus follow the rhythms of the seasons, so the colours of the dishes evolve during the year like those of the hills and vineyards all around. Te two restaurants have their


own distinctive interior styles, too. Contrada is rustic but modern, divided into rooms to offer greater intimacy for a private celebration or sophisticated candlelit dinner. La Cantina, mean- while, boasts 17th-century barrels, a vaulted ceiling, exposed brickwork and original terracotta floors for a laid-back trattoria atmosphere.


T: +39 0577 570 886 E: reservations@castelmonastero.com castelmonastero.com


Key facilities • Naturally heated swimming pools • Tennis court • Hammam • Indoor whirlpool bath • Two restaurants • Two bars


Key Activities • Trekking on marked trails • Quad bike adventure • Biking tour through winery • Cooking classes • Hot-air ballooning • Horse-riding


Key Treatments • Berber ritual • Marma energising massage • Forest oak treatment


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