Rockliffe Hall

Rockliffe Hall is a red-brick country house; the "Old Hall" dates back to the 1860s. The "New Hall", built in 2009, houses bedrooms and suites, the spa and leisure facilities, and the Brasserie. You can reach the spa either through the hotel or through a separate, curved, modern entrance with plenty of parking directly outside. The spa itself offers a large pool area, a thermal suite and a Spa Garden.

The spa reception area is large, bright and welcoming, with comfortable velvety sofas where you can complete your consultation form. The clever insets of stained glass windows in the walls -- reclaimed from a disused chapel in the grounds -- make the space colourful, light and airy.

The changing rooms are large and spacious with neat and neutral tiled walls and floor, and private changing spaces. They have banks of large wooden key-code lockers, a huge TV screen on the wall, a spinner and plastic bags for your damp swimsuit, and extra towels if you need a dry one. The showers are stocked with [comfort zone] shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. The four vanity stations have hairdryers, cleanser, moisturiser and hair-styling products so you can finish your spa day picture perfect.

The main 20-metre pool area is light and bright, with a window overlooking the gardens at one end. One wall of the pool has more of those inset panels of stained glass, so coloured light streams through and looks divine reflected in the water, especially towards sunset. The pool has loungers and chairs around the edge, and a shallower children's pool just off to the side.

Also around the pool are a wooden sauna which seats up to 15 people, and a caldarium which has hot steam infused with aromatic oils. You can buy pick-me-up fresh juices and smoothies at the juice bar. You can also bubble away outside in the circular hot tub which can seat up to eight.

Through double frosted glass doors lies the child-free thermal area. The central feature is the huge, circular hydrotherapy pool: lie back on the airbeds, bubble in the hot-tub seats or dip under the fierce swan pipes as they switch on and off in turn. In this area is also a tepidarium with five heated, tiled loungers; a cold igloo room with an ice fountain so you can cool yourself down with ice flakes; a tropicarium (like a sauna but with more humidity); and four hot and cold foot baths. Loungers face floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the grounds. You can spend a pleasant time dipping in and out of the various heat experiences and relaxing in between.

The Spa Garden -- an indoor and outdoor space to relax -- offers more peace and quiet. You can book it in two-hour slots, for a maximum of 16 people, at an additional cost depending on your package. Inside, comfortable seating surrounds a central water-and-fire sculptural feature. The glass-fronted, wooden sauna and five tepidarium beds look through floor-to-ceiling windows which open out in the summer. Help yourself to teas and coffee, flavoured waters and fruit, or the spa concierge will serve you drinks if you prefer.

The outdoor infinity-edge hydro-pool has swan pipes at both ends and long air beds running along the length. The terrace around the pool has more sunny seating and loungers.

The treatment rooms and relaxation room are upstairs (there is also a lift). The relaxation room is blissfully quiet. Decorated in calming neutrals with the odd splash of pink, one side of the room has more upright seating, with a day-bed, magazines and jugs of lemon and cucumber water. The Sleep Retreat is dark with six soft beds with cushions and blankets; the beds are "physio acoustic" so gently vibrate in a soothing pattern, ideal for post-treatment snoozes. The interesting rose "window" in the ceiling was very soothing to look at while we relaxed,

Rockliffe Hall also has a large gym and a championship golf course to get your heart rate going before you spa.

We had the Caudalie Vineyard Treasures signature treatment, exclusive to Rockliffe Hall (90 minutes, £120). This French skincare brand uses vine and grape extracts in its products.

My therapist, Sarah, took me through to a neat, dimly lit treatment room with a bed laid out with aubergine towels. She explained the treatment, and asked to me lie face down on the heated bed.

Sarah began the treatment with an invigorating back scrub; the exfoliating grape-seeds felt gentle yet effective and left my skin feeling smooth and soft. She followed the scrub with a deep-tissue massage using a wooden wine makers' tool that looked like a bamboo roller. She kneaded her way with her thumbs up and down either side of my spine, pressed the roller into my lower back sideways and then head-on for more pressure, and paid attention to the knots in my neck.

Sarah followed the massage with a bespoke facial, using products suitable for my dry skin. Highlights included a dreamy creamy double cleanse, a grape water spritz for toner, exfoliation, a resveratrol serum for eye brightening, a clay mask, and a tiny, cool jade roller that Sarah smoothed over my skin.

She finished with a scalp massage that was delightfully de-stressing and (as far as I was concerned) could have gone on all day. I felt thoroughly unwound and my skin had a definite glow. Sarah brought me some grape and cinnamon tea and led me through to the sleep retreat to relax and recover.

The treatment menu at Rockliffe Hall offers Caudalie and [comfort zone] facials and body treatments, NEOM spa rituals, massage and treats for men and mums-to-be. You can book yourself in for the salt suite, too, or rasul. Complete the beauty palette with an Orly manicure or pedicure.

If you visit Rockliffe Hall for a spa day, you'll eat in The Brasserie, just upstairs from the spa facilities. Most of our fellow diners were eating in their robes and it was quite comfortable doing so.

Some of the spa-day packages include a two-course lunch. The options are limited but on our visit included steak, chicken, fish and vegetarian options. Staff can normally cater for free-from needs, too. Our pea-and-ham terrine was light and refreshing while the goat's cheese and fig salad was made interesting with beetroot and walnuts. You could always swap your starter for a dessert and indulge in lemon cheesecake or chocolate mousse.

If you're staying overnight, or are looking for a treat, try the fine-dining Orangery Restaurant or afternoon tea in the Old Hall. You need to dress for these.

We loved

The pool: The stained-glass windows make swimming a pleasure; just make sure to avoid the children's swim times if you want to do a few lengths in peace.

Our treatments: Our therapists were professional and attentive and the products were beautifully scented.

We didn't love

The soap in our eyes: The showers in the changing rooms are on a very short timer (about 15 seconds) which is not long enough even to lather up long hair, let alone rinse it. (Staff promised they would look at the timing issues.)

We would have liked more healthy options at lunch. During a spa day, sometimes all you want is a light salad.

Groups of friends: You can hire the Spa Garden exclusively and spend two hours just catching up in the peaceful surroundings.

Golfers or golf widows: The challenging PGA-accredited 18-hole golf course is the longest in the UK (so you may be in the spa for some time).

We gave Rockliffe Hall a Good Spa Guide rating of 5 Bubbles. The heat facilities are expansive and varied, the pool area is delightfully designed and the spa garden is very indulgent. Rockliffe Hall is a friendly, sociable spa with plenty to entertain and de-stress you on your spa day

Single Spy visited in May 2017 and awarded it 5 Bubbles.