Just as spring dawns across the UK this April, a brand new botanical spa will come to life in the grounds of English country hotel and retreat Heckfield Place in Hampshire.

The 17,000sq ft Bothy by Wildsmith spa will open at the restored 438-acre Georgian estate that’s also complete with expansive gardens, orchards, a bar and restaurant and a biodynamic farm.

Previously a conference centre and wedding venue – and home to Horace Walpole, the 4th Earl of Orford in the 18th century – Heckfield Place opened in 2018 after the Grade II-listed house was transformed into a lavish countryside retreat.

The vision for the new spa is to welcome hotel guests to slow down and reconnect with nature’s pace while discovering the healing power of the great outdoors.

Home to generations of estate gardeners, The Bothy will be nestled beyond a secret door of the house’s original walled garden and feature views across Hampshire’s green countryside.

The spa will be home to six treatment rooms, outdoor hydrotherapies, thermal experiences, a pool, three-movement spaces and the Sun Room – an indoor/outdoor space serving seasonal plant-based fare crafted by culinary director Skye Gyngell.

The upcoming wellness space has been conceived to fully connect to its natural environment and will be the inaugural spa partner for Heckfield’s signature botanical skincare brand, Wildsmith Skin.

Rooted in nature, the formulas are inspired by the grounds and their abundance of trees and plants. Continuing this focus, the brand is dedicated to sustainability and packages all products in recyclable vessels made from stoneware or aluminium, while its outer packaging is fully compostable and made from mushrooms.

"Offering an integrated approach to wellbeing, The Bothy will be a space of healing to boost mental, physical and spiritual regeneration," said Katherine Pye, general manager of Wildsmith, speaking exclusively to Spa Business.

"Guests will be encouraged to experience a deeper connection to nature, as well as to those around them and themselves.

"For Wildsmith, The Bothy is the embodiment of our brand philosophy, and we're excited to welcome house guests to our home from April 2023."

Equipped by Gharieni, the spa will be overseen by Reka Seres, who joined Heckfield after serving as senior spa director at Four Seasons, where she was responsible for three of its UK properties as well as in her native Budapest.

Wild wellness rituals and experiences

According to the spa team, the tailored treatment menu will be linked to the rhythms of nature and the Heckfield estate. Each will be led by one of Heckfield’s master practitioners or widely experienced resident therapists.

The selection of therapies will be guided by the universal principles of circadian rhythm to support recovery, healing and balance and to reconnect with the cadence of the natural world.

Designed to stand out from traditional spa menus, each journey has been designed to empower therapists to connect with every guest and align treatments to their bodies, emotions and needs.

The Bothy's concept of integrated wellbeing will extend to the outdoors too, with guests offered physical journeys exploring the grounds including Woodland Movement, Farm Fit, Forest Bathing and Cold Wild Water Immersion Therapy.