Sybaritic Spy tries a Baobab Ritual

TAKE ME WITH YOU…

Just beside the shopping delights of Harrogate is a very different kind of spa. The ornate Moorish-style bath house - with its glazed brickwork and painted ceilings - was built in the 19th century. The Turkish Baths were a celebration of the Hamman steam, hot rooms and massages experienced during the Grand Tour undertaken by Victorian Gentlemen. The building fell into disuse in the late 1960s but was renovated in 2004. Enter the stone building on Parliament Street and head down several steps into the spa reception area.

SHALL WE SPA?

This is a rather more unusual spa experience combining heat and cold with resting and relaxing. It’s more communal than it is modern with very few extras, but the chance to step back in time is golden.

Pre-book your two-hour session online (£27 off peak; £37 peak). The spa can get busy, so groups are allowed in at set times only; there are sessions for just women and men, as well as combined slots. Swimwear is (we were pleased to learn) compulsory for all guests.

Collect your towels (of which there are two) from a spa attendant, change behind the curtain in one of the cubicles just inside the doorway and carry your clothes through to the lockers. You can choose to bring your own flip-flops or go barefoot.

The friendly staff showed us around and left us in the Quiet Room with its curved ceilings and high windows allowing natural light to flood in. Cream walls are adorned with blue and red patterns of stars, diamonds, zig zags and dots typical of Islamic art (which purposefully avoids images of people or animals). Original terrazzo floors showcase attractive patterns in shades of brown, white and black.

There are three inter-connecting hot rooms with original brightly coloured glazed bricks lining the walls; the palette reminds me of my childhood painting set: milky marine blues cover the walls, while lines of glossy chestnut brown, sharp electric blue and Sahara yellow create texture.

All three rooms offer a dry heat, getting hotter as you head up the steps. We sat in each room for a few minutes, taking a cold shower between. The brave – or the very hot – can use the cold plunge which is shallow but just long and deep enough to swim along. Most people plunge in, shriek and shiver – wimps (like this Spa Spy) make do with splashing cold water over their head and neck.

Our favourite is the Quiet Room, which is deliciously warm; our spa partner enjoyed the super-hot steam room.

TREATMENT TALK

We both tried the Baobab Ritual (90 minutes, £135) using Germaine de Capuccini products.

Rachel, my therapist, led me through to the treatment room and invited me to take a seat so that she could explain the stages of the treatment. Once settled on the warm bed, lying face down, Rachel applied a fine exfoliator containing Baobab Seed Shells to my skin to remove dead skin cells; she removed this with hot mitts, which felt very relaxing.

A soothing lymphatic massage with a hydrating Baobab oil then followed, Rachel working on my back using her forearms to create deep firm movements before massaging each of my limbs in turn. I opted out of the usual Baobab Scalp Therapy so that Rachel to focus on my neck instead.

My spa partner, who was having the same treatment with his therapist, Anna, did have the Scalp Therapy at the end of his treatment and found it very soothing.

There is no separate relaxation area at this spa so, after our lovely treatments, we were escorted back to the Quiet Room to relax.

The Turkish Baths offer a range of massages and facials, wraps and exfoliations plus complementary therapies including Reflexology and Reiki.

HOW DID IT MEASURE UP?

Using the warm room before the treatment helped our therapists work deep into tense muscles (my shoulders felt much looser); it also encouraged us to relax.

SPOT OF LUNCH?

Drinks and snacks are offered in the glass-roofed Café which has comfy grey sofas and seats in front of tables. One wall is bathed in a deep blue, the other displays tempting spa products on open shelves. If you want something more substantial than a piece of cake or a biscuit, you can pre-book a very simple salad or sandwich. We opted for freshly made ploughman’s and smoked salmon sandwiches on our visit.

GOT ALL DAY?

Book the light lunch to enjoy after a session in the Hammam and a leisurely treatment. The delights of Harrogate then await, including the shopping district and afternoon tea in Bettys – a Harrogate institution.

SHORT ON TIME?

Book the two-hour session and take in the beauty of these authentic Victorian baths.