What’s the vibe?

I stayed in one of the stableyard rooms surrounding Hadspen House, a restored 17th-century limestone manor that was updated in the Georgian era. (And then given a delightful refresh by The Newt’s co-owner, the former Elle Decoration South Africa editor-in-chief Karen Roos, before the hotel opened its doors in 2019.) Inside the house, you’ll find an array of thoughtfully designed spaces: a cozy living room with a wood-burning fireplace, vibrant velvet seating, and portraits of the Hobhouse family, who lived at Hadspen for over two centuries. Oh, and the delightful Botanical Rooms restaurant, where you can sample “estate-to-plate” dishes like British White beef reared a few fields over and venison from the deer park in a conservatory-style room filled with orange trees.

The location of my room also meant I was within spitting distance of the spa, which was precisely where I wanted to be. Here, the thermal circuit has been cleverly designed as a modern riff on the classic Roman bathhouse (there’s also an ancient Roman villa on the estate), with a floor-to-ceiling windowed sauna looking out over fern trees, a steam room, and an indoor-outdoor pool. (Plus, there’s an all-important outdoor cold plunge pool for those brave enough, which I certainly was.) It offers an array of farm-to-treatment-table experiences, all of which harness ingredients from the property’s medieval herb garden: rosemary, lavender, sage. It’s a treat for all the senses.

Photo: Courtesy of The Newt in Somerset

The history?

For centuries, the land surrounding The Newt was used for farming. The spa is partially located in (as well as behind and under) what was once a byre, or cowshed. Behind it, a barn was used to house the cows during the winter, and certain structural features were designed to accommodate them: Circular pillars, for instance, prevented the cows from dislodging bricks when rubbing up against them. (Converting these historic grounds—including the spa—was a six-year process.)