Country spas less than an hour from London

London has some excellent spas, but sometimes you want parkland, not pavements. Go just beyond the M25 and you’ll find manor houses, forest hideaways and outdoor pools with countryside views. And time outdoors can help you switch off, as fans of forest bathing will tell you.

We have chosen 11 country spas and grouped them by county - each one has a Good Spa Guide Bubble Rating determined by our team of Spa Spies to help you choose. So, leave the car at home and let the train take the strain… each spa on this list is less than an hour’s journey, and most need only a short taxi ride at the other end. What are you waiting for?

BEDFORDSHIRE

Aqua Sana Forest Spa, Woburn Forest – 5 Bubbles
By train: 46 minutes from London Bridge to Flitwick (+ 11-minute taxi)

This spa sits among the trees of Center Parcs Woburn Forest. There are 25 nature-inspired experiences to work through, from the scented Blossom Steam Room and salt sauna to the Ice Cave. Finish in the outdoor pool and look out over the forest. Treatments use Elemis, Comfort Zone and VOYA, and free wellbeing sessions run through the day. Lunch is at the Vitalé Café Bar, which you reach without leaving the spa. To stay over, book a spa suite with a private forest-view balcony.

Champneys Henlow – 5 Bubbles
By train: 37 minutes from London King’s Cross to Arlesey (+ 7-minute taxi)

A red-brick Georgian manor in 150 acres of parkland beside a river and weir. Take the snowdrop walk in late winter and look out for deer. Inside, there is a bright 25-metre pool, a thalassotherapy pool, a whirlpool and a women’s laconium. Two studios run a full timetable of fitness and wellness classes. Treatments use Champneys, Clarins and Elemis products. Afterwards, take a board game to the garden conservatory with your spa partner.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

The Langley Hotel and Spa – 5 Bubble Luxury
By train: 25 minutes on the Elizabeth line from London Paddington to Langley (+ 7-minute taxi)

A grand Georgian mansion with a spa to match. The 1,600-square-metre spa has a 16.5-metre infinity-edge indoor pool, an outdoor pool and a large thermal area with a hammam, a Himalayan salt sauna, a salt steam room and an ice fountain. A separate women-only sanctuary has its own vitality pool, rose steam room and hammam. For a special occasion, book the private VIP suite. Treatments use ESPA and La Sultane de Saba. Eat in the Spa Lounge in your robe, or take afternoon tea in the Drawing Room with views over the lake.

H Spa at Horwood House – 5 Bubbles
By train: 34 minutes from London Euston to Bletchley (+ 16-minute taxi)

At the end of a tree-lined drive in the Buckinghamshire countryside, this Edwardian house sits in 38 acres of celebrated gardens. Britain’s first TV gardener, Percy Thrower, was born here. A £6 million refurbishment includes H Spa, with its 15-metre pool, sauna, steam room and poolside tranquillity beds. Doors open onto a courtyard with swinging egg chairs, surrounded by alliums and tall trees. It is the ideal place for afternoon tea after a Caudalie facial. Two marked walking routes start from the house.

HERTFORDSHIRE

Sequoia Spa at The Grove – 5 Bubbles
By train: 15 minutes from London Euston to Watford Junction (+ 12-minute taxi)

It is hard to believe this 300-acre estate is so close to the capital. The spa fills a former stable block. Its black-tiled 22-metre indoor pool is a showstopper, and in summer you can swim in the 25-metre outdoor pool in the Walled Garden. There are 18 treatment rooms using Bamford and Natura Bissé. The women’s changing rooms have their own thermal area. Have lunch at Sequoia Kitchen, then try golf, tennis or croquet if you still have energy.

Champneys Tring – 5 Bubbles
By train: 35 minutes from London Euston to Tring (+ 9-minute taxi)

Champneys’ flagship spa is a glamorous stately home in 170 acres of gardens and woodland. There is so much to do that you will want a plan. Choose from more than 100 treatments, from Reiki to Clarins and Elemis facials. The Marine and Wellness Spa uses seawater, algae and marine minerals, and there is a 25-metre pool, a thalassotherapy pool and indoor and outdoor whirlpools. Between treatments, borrow a bike and explore the grounds.

The Club at Cottonmill, Sopwell House – 5 Bubble Luxury
By train: 36 minutes from London Bridge to St Albans City (+ 8-minute taxi)

Sopwell House is a whitewashed Georgian manor on the edge of St Albans. Its spa has changed completely since a major rebuild and new extension. Cottonmill has a 14.5-metre pool, hot tubs, a sauna, a steam room and the Rose Relaxation Room. Upgrade to The Club at Cottonmill for the full experience: three floors of saunas, steam rooms, experience showers and relaxation spaces, including the Whisper Room. The highlight is the indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool. Swim through to the spa garden, where cabanas, loungers and hot tubs sit beside a Japanese-style waterway. Treatments use Elemis and Aromatherapy Associates.

KENT

Utopia Spa at Rowhill Grange – 5 Bubbles
By train: 35 minutes from London Victoria to Swanley (+ 9-minute taxi)

This adults-only country house dates from 1868 and sits in landscaped gardens near Dartford. The Utopia Spa feels like a Roman bathhouse, with temple-like pillars and painted Italian landscapes around the therapeutic pool. Upstairs there is a swimming pool, and there is also a steam room, sauna and experience shower. Treatments use Temple Spa and OSKIA; our Spa Spy rated the OSKIA ritual highly. Book dinner at RG’s, which holds two AA Rosettes.

SURREY

The Spa at Pennyhill Park – 5 Bubble Luxury
By train: 34 minutes from London Waterloo to Farnborough (Main) (+ 14-minute taxi)

Pennyhill’s spa is vast. There are eight pools, and the star is the 25-metre ballroom pool with underwater music. Outside, there is an outdoor pool and Canadian hot tubs. Inside, work through herbal saunas, steam rooms, a tepidarium, a mud room and an ice igloo. The 21 treatment rooms use Natura Bissé and Comfort Zone. Have brunch or lunch at Themis, the spa restaurant. If you stay the night, book dinner at The Latymer, which holds two Michelin stars.

SUSSEX

Utopia Spa at Alexander House – 5 Bubbles
By train: 37 minutes from London Victoria to Three Bridges (+ 13-minute taxi)

The poet Shelley once lived at Alexander House, which sits in 120 acres of gardens, woodland and parkland. Its Grecian-style spa has a deep-blue pool framed by temple pillars, plus a hydrotherapy pool and experience showers. Outside, there is a hot tub and two private Canadian hot tubs. There are 21 treatment rooms using Temple Spa and OSKIA. Afterwards, curl up in one of the two relaxation rooms.

The Spa at South Lodge – 5 Bubble Luxury
By train: 52 minutes from London Victoria to Horsham (+ 9-minute taxi)

South Lodge is a honey-coloured Victorian manor in 93 acres, with long views to the South Downs. Its purpose-built spa opened in 2019. It has glass walls and a grass-and-sedum roof that blends into the landscape. Swim in the 22-metre indoor infinity pool, then head outside to the warm hydrotherapy pool and the 18-metre heated swimming pond, filtered naturally by reeds. The thermal suite includes a chamomile sauna, a jasmine steam room and a rasul mud room. Lunch at Botanica is mostly plant-based, and you can eat in your robe. Look for treatments that use products from the estate’s own vineyard.