Is This The UK’s Most Breathtaking Spa Retreat?

There are plenty of fantastic British spa retreats. A significantly smaller number of these have views that make you cry – which is exactly what happened as I looked out at Lake Windermere, glittering in the afternoon sun, from the outdoor wood-fired sauna at Low Wood Bay. Sitting beneath low clouds and shadowed by a backdrop of deep green, sloping fells, England’s largest lake is one of those landmarks that reminds you just how small you are in such a vast, open landscape.

While the spa at Low Wood Bay is the jewel in its crown, no other part of this family-run luxury resort falls remotely short. Beautiful food, deep relaxation and thrilling watersports are balanced in perfect measure – and at every corner there’s a tearjerkingly gorgeous view to top it all off.

Low Wood Bay is located on the shores of Lake Windermere and has its own watersports centre

Our packed itinerary meant I didn’t get to the spa until halfway through my second day at Low Wood Bay, but best believe next time, I’ll be pulling on my fluffy robe the moment I have my room key. After all, a room number is all you need to order cocktails at the outdoor spa bar, brought to you as you lounge in the infinity pool or one of the outdoor hot tubs, or sweat it out in the wood-fired sauna. There’s plenty inside, too: one room has a huge pool and an infrared sauna (perfect for deep recovery with less of the heat); another overlooks Lake Windermere and features a calming herbal lounge, steam room and dry salt sauna. As you drift between the facilities, staff will offer you unlimited slices of Low Wood Bay’s famous tiffin, to which it’s very important you say yes. 

The newest addition is the Fell View Lounge, an earth-toned sanctuary for indulging in personal wellbeing rituals in between pool dips and bookable treatments. Choose from a range of chilled skincare products at the ESPA mask bar and settle down on one of the sandy-beige loungers with a fresh drink (and more tiffin). There are also red light LED masks, which automatically switch off after a ten-minute cycle and can be game-changing for skin texture concerns. If you’ve never tried one before like me, expect also to laugh lots at how ridiculous you look – a great way to wake yourself up after hours of deep relaxation.

The newest addition to the spa, Fell View Lounge, features an ESPA mask bar, a firepit, red light LED masks and comfortable loungers

When it comes to the all-important place of rest, I was thrilled to be staying at Winander Club, the newer, more contemporary choice of two buildings with rooms on the estate. I love a characterful bedroom with a homely feel (this is what you’ll find in the original hotel, a Grade II-listed house built in 1859 on the site of an old family farm), but the clean and modern aesthetic of Winander Club really leaves space for the view to be the star of the show. Each of the airy rooms opens out to French doors that look over either the lake or the hills; you might assume you’d be getting the short end of the straw with the latter, but far from it. Sheep, deer and a fluffle of wild rabbits (yes, that’s the proper term) graze right outside, and the rooms come with complimentary binoculars so you can really take it all in. Breakfast comes with a view too; on our final morning, over full cooked plates and bowls of fruit in the lounge, we spotted a double rainbow arching high over the lake below. Many, many photos were taken through the floor-to-ceiling windows before we headed up to the rooftop terrace for a panoramic perspective.

The resort is one of three English Lakes hotels, with the second 15 minutes down the road and the third slightly further north in Lancaster. The business has been run by five generations of the Berry family since it was established in 1953, and this really comes through as you wander around the resort: staff are close-knit and notice the smallest of details, communicating seamlessly with one another to ensure you are perfectly taken care of (but not smothered). As someone with coeliac disease who often feels anxious to trust others with my dietaries, be assured that Low Wood Bay is the ideal place to stay if, like me, you find being away from home particularly nerve-wracking when it comes to food – or otherwise.

On that note, there is a standout from the resort’s multiple restaurants and cafés, and that’s Blue Smoke. It was the perfect place for our first dinner: laid-back but luxurious, serving dishes like torched burrata, spicy smoked beans and wood-fired seabass with burnt lemon. If you hadn’t guessed, there’s a theme here: almost everything is fired or smoked over British woods like birch, oak and cedar, which also carries through into the restaurant’s afternoon tea – an unusual take on the British classic with four cast iron tiers of wood-fired treats. And, as is always a plus, the Blue Smoke bartenders can make any cocktail you like – so dream up your very best. We also dined at The W, just down the corridor in the main house, offering delicious contemporary British food in a colourful dining room complete with floral chairs and quirky animal-themed decor.

Many rooms at Low Wood Bay come with breathtaking views either over the lake or the sloping green fells

Low Wood Bay is the ideal place for well-deserved R&R, but that’s not to say some high-energy fun can’t be had, too. With its own watersports centre, the resort’s guests can book activities on Lake Windermere through Wake on the Bay, including kayaking, paddleboarding, waterskiing, wakesurfing… whatever floats your boat. If you still want to be out on the water but prefer to sip on Champagne with a side of chocolate-covered strawberries while you’re at it, opt for a gentle yacht charter towards Ambleside with skipper Ed.

Back on dry land I was particularly struck by Low Wood Bay’s falconer Stephen, whose energy and passion for birds of prey is nothing short of infectious. Who knew so much of the English language was born from falconry? (If you’ve ever had someone ‘wrapped around your finger’, you’re essentially calling them a hawk perched patiently on your leather glove.) Dot, his nine-year-old Peregrine falcon, is absolutely regal, whether soaring low through the sky back to Stephen’s hand on the Hawk Walk or just waiting quietly for food. 

It’s a relaxed resort but evenings can be lively, with mix of events in the calendar including vinyl nights, charcuterie nights and Friday Sunset Sessions for live music at the outdoor spa between May and October. Just down the road at sister hotel Wild Boar Estate there’s plenty more on offer, from axe throwing and archery to food smoking courses. And of course, you’re free anytime to walk along the lake or around the hills at the back of Low Wood Bay to say hello to the resident sheep. All this in one of the most effortlessly gorgeous places in the UK – I might’ve already been once, but a long, indulgent weekend at Low Wood Bay is absolutely (back) at the top of my bucket list.

C&TH Key Notes

– Don’t miss: The cannon being fired off the end of the jetty at 5pm every Friday, literally starting the weekend off with a bang (and 20 percent off cocktails)

– Room to request: A Lime room with a feature bath at Winander Club. Perfect for an end-of-day soak as you watch wild baby bunnies chase each other around the rolling hills

– Dish to order: Wood-fired afternoon tea at Blue Smoke for something deliciously unique

– Spa must-do: Check out the new Fell View Lounge before heading to the wood-fired outdoor sauna, with breathtaking views over Lake Windermere that might just make you tear up

– Best time to visit: Spring/summer for maximum wildlife, activity opportunities and beautiful outdoor spa weather

The Final Word

I can’t imagine anyone for whom Low Wood Bay wouldn’t be a dream destination, but it’s particularly perfect if you live in the city. No need to jet off abroad when a day or two of quiet time in the outdoor spa is enough to get you fully relaxed, recharged and ready to plug back in to urban life.

BOOK IT

Doubles from £171 (includes breakfast, 25 percent off spa treatments Mon-Thu and ten percent off watersports activities). To make the most of the spa, book the Spa Break with Dinner package from £272 (includes breakfast, a £39 dinner allowance per adult and a three-hour thermal journey in the spa). englishlakeshotels.co.uk