Getting lost in the spaghetti-style country lanes around Yorkshire’s Pennines and listening to the GPS chant ‘turn left, now turn right, now turn left… recalculating’ is not my idea of a relaxing spa break. Finally, after looping an old high-rise textile mill for the third time I spot the sign for the Titanic Eco Spa, in the rather remote village of Linthwaite, near Huddersfield.
Inside I find couples and mother-and-daughter duos floating about tranquilly, dressed in a uniform of soft dressing gowns and slippers. They filter between the healthy hot buffet serving veggie curries with vibrant salad plates and the salt-regulated swimming pool, before disappearing into various treatment rooms.
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Water is at the heart of the spa experience, so to sustain its green credentials, Titanic spa sources it from the original supply used when the building operated as an Edwardian textile mill, 100m underground. Note too the solar roof panels, sustainably sourced local food, energy efficient laundry and cleaning equipment, recycling and general efforts to be carbon neutral.
Titanic's unique selling point is its signature Heat and Ice Experience, which combines various traditional bathing rituals into a step-by-step body-cleansing ceremony.
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I start in the lavender-infused Scandinavian saunarium for a gentle introduction. The heat feels comfortable enough to relax in as warmth penetrates my body to soothe muscle and joint pains and set a calming tone for what lies ahead.
I throw myself into step two - the ice-cold pail of water - and pull the chain. ‘Not so calming now,’ I squeal, making a dash for the roasting hot Finnish sauna.
Next comes a dip in the plunge pool to stimulate blood flow - over in a nanosecond - and I rush for relief to the crystal steam bath. Its 100% humidity, inside a Turkish-style mosaic room, is designed to clean the respiratory system. Next I’m rubbing crushed ice all over my body with the aim of stimulating my nerves.
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I catch my breath in the aromatherapy vapour room before some reflexology thanks to a massaging foot bath. Although I'm still in shock, by the time I hit the herbal infusion room my body feels a mixture of relaxed and alive yet completely invigorated. My skin is soft to the touch and my lungs feel cleansed.
Feeling clean from the inside out, I decide to bypass the ancient Egyptian mud chamber, where exfoliating clay is applied to the body then washed off under a tropical shower of steam.
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For me, a spa trip isn’t complete without a massage, preferably deep tissue to heal post-workout aches and pains. Today, however, I enjoy a soothing DECLÉOR Aromassage, which uses pressure points from the tips of your toes to the tension points of your scalp, to relax every part of your body.
It works: I depart Titanic Eco Spa in a state of utter calm, stress free and so chilled out that not even my irritating sat nav can disturb my zen-like state. Result.
Find out more about treatments and packages at www.titanicspa.com
