Essentials Magazine
Down on the farm
Jo Maddox and Liam Hughes spent three nights at Downs Health & Spa Cottages in North Devon
Being a spa virgin, I was a little apprehensive about my ‘first time’…but I needn’t have been. When we arrived, the owners of the property, Jeremy and Lynda, were waiting to show us to one of the five listed Victorian farm buildings, which have been converted into luxury self catering cottages.
Each one was like a home from home with everything from books and DVDs to a fully-equipped kitchen – and a fridge stocked with our first breakfast. If you don’t fancy cooking, you can order in from a delicious home-cooked gourmet menu. Beware though, a dish for two could food four!
The spa is small, but there’s a good choice of beauty treatments and holistic therapies, plus a gym, spa bath, sauna, steam room, relaxation area with panoramic views and a restaurant serving locally sourced food.
We decided to try different treatments and compare notes afterwards. I booked a facial and a hot stone massage, while Liam went for the aromatherapy massage. My treatment lasted two -and-a-half hours and was so relaxing I fell asleep – a good sign, apparently -and Liam was like a zombie for the rest of the day after his massage! Our pamper day ended with a cream tea complete with strawberry and lavender jam from the farm up the road – funny how lazing around doing nothing can leave you with such an appetite!
There’s plenty to do outside the spa, boo: coastal walks, bike rides, boat trips, surfing… and the not-to-be missed Cheristow Country Kitchen, which is just 10 minute’s walk away, and where we had some of the best food we’ve ever tasted, mos of which is grown and reared on the farm itself. If you fancy going further afield, there’s Padstow, famous for Rick Stein’s restaurant, and the Eden Project, which is just a 90-minute drive away.
Whether you’re looking for a relaxing weekend away from it all, or a family break with the kids, Downe, has it all.
Â