As the new year hits and we start to settle back into some form of routine – whatever that may be – it’s important to check in with ourselves and hit the refresh button.
Whether that’s a declutter of the home, office or mind, a clear calendar to combat the end of year rush, or a weekend of indulging in those little luxuries that help us feel good, put it right to the top of your priority list and start the year in the best way you know how.
For me, I’m consciously choosing a slow start to 2023. We’re often drawn to setting out (sometimes) unrealistic goals and
putting pressure on ourselves to start as we mean to go on.
How about spending the beginning of 2023 to rest and recharge? Letting the back end of winter gently lead us into the joys of spring? Spring is the time for ‘new life’ after all, so why do we rush into pushing our bodies into ‘fight back’ drive at the turn of the year?
Now is the ideal time to check in for a bit of pamper time. A solo spa date, a weekend away with a loved one, or an indulgent treatment to whisk you away for a while.
All of these little luxuries are perfect ways to enter the new year, and that’s exactly what we set out to do during a recent stay at The Feversham Arms.
The picture-perfect drive over the North York Moors to Helmsley is a good-for-the-soul experience in itself. Frost-bitten fields and winding roads have you feeling worlds away before you enter the beautiful market town where The Feversham Arms sits in
its charming, sandstone glory.
There’s always something so peaceful about Helmsley as a place. Even on a busy day, it has this effortless ability to remain quiet and tranquil; home to beautiful old buildings, cosy tearooms, tiny shops, delicious delis and scenic strolls.
As soon as you step foot inside The Feversham Arms, that peace and tranquility is cranked up a level. Greeted with a friendly Yorkshire welcome, the scents of the spa, and views through glass doors to the outdoor pool, it may be chilly outside, but we feel like we’ve checked into a Mediterranean paradise.
A Poolside Suite is our home for the night – a cottage-style duplex with a private poolside terrace, large living space and an inviting bed kitted out with duck down duvets and pillows – the perfect place to drift off to dreamtime after a day whiling away the hours at the spa.
We pop the kettle on, slip into our robes and slippers and stroll out to the poolside paradise just a stone’s throw from our front door.
The outdoor heated pool is at the heart of the Verbena Spa – and the hotel as a whole – and the great thing about it is that it’s heated all-year-round, meaning it’s not just there to look the part.
Wicker furniture and cocoon-like loungers surround the pool – perfect for the warmer months when soaking up the sun with a cocktail is on the cards.
But when the winter chill bites, the spa lounge is the ideal spot to retreat. Think sink-in sofas, soft spa sounds and a bounty of books to get lost in.
We’ve never been so happy to switch our phones off and let time stand still. That is, of course, until it is time to be called for our treatment – a 60-minute ‘Purification Facial’.
Using the best of the best Temple Spa products, this treatment feeds the face with the goodness it deserves – perfect for cleansing and purifying oily skin. Just what the doctor ordered after party season and all of the lovely effects having a wonderful time has on your skin!
My lovely therapist talks me through the treatment and products, before leaving me to lay back and let go. It’s like an early spring clean for the face – kicking things off with a deep cleanse and facial massage, followed by exfoliation, a congestion-combating mud mask and a soothing scalp massage.
The treatment strikes up a balance between feeling the products working their magic, and allowing the body to totally drift away into a dreamlike state, almost hitting the snooze button for a while.
Feeling fresh and rested with a glowing complexion, it’s time to sink a little further into the serenity of the spa.
What is so incredibly unique about the Verbena Spa is its invitation to revel in the luxuries of nature. It’s not about checking into a spa, walking through the double doors and being hit with a wave of heat rooms, the whole experience is based around the outside space, with fresh Yorkshire air at your fingertips.
As well as seating and a terrace for alfresco dining, the hot tub sits at a height overlooking the heated pool – an inviting space to bubble away your worries (perhaps with a bottle of bubbly, for the occasion!).
Other indulgent experiences include an aromatherapy room, steam room, sauna, monsoon shower, foot spa and relaxation lounge. Wrapped up warm in our cosy robes, we drift from one experience to the next, giving our mind and body the boost it deserves as we go.
Floating back to our suite feeling a little lighter and brighter, it’s time to swap robes for clothes and let the food do the talking at Weathervane, the hotel restaurant.
Yorkshire produce is at the heart of the AA Rosette restaurant, with a focus on fresh, seasonal delights, celebrating the best of British.
Wined and watered, we kick things off with the Butternut Squash Veloute and the East Coast Mackerel starters.
The veloute is served with sage espuma, mini gruyere and pickled onion toastie, bursting with fresh flavours. The mackerel dish is served up in style with punchy gooseberry jam, horseradish, squid ink tuile and soy aioli.
The main event is a meat feast and comes in the form of a Loin of Yorkshire Beef and a Rump of Yorkshire Lamb for my dinner date. The beef is perfectly tender and served with truffle pommes dauphine, a buttered king oyster mushroom, shallots and red wine sauce.
The lamb, in all its falling-off-the-fork deliciousness, is served with tomato fondue, lamb fat potatoes, goat’s curd and charred broccoli.
We sweeten the deal with the Dark Chocolate and Ale Cake – and two spoons!
The Weathervane is indulgent in everything from its Yorkshire-inspired menu, to the bright and airy interiors and in-the-know waiting staff on hand to help you with any recommendations or requirements.
It’s the perfect way to close out a truly charming stay at The Feversham Arms. The good-for-the-soul escape we all need.
How would you like to be in with a chance of winning this dreamy spa stay? Head to our WIN page to enter! For more information on The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa, visit: fevershamarmshotel.com
