Plans have been announced to introduce the first five-star private members wellness club in Northern England, located on a historic 1,000-acre estate in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire.

The proposed project, based in an area of outstanding natural beauty 45 minutes north of Manchester, is being spearheaded by entrepreneurs and estate owners Amber and Guy Hindley.

The duo are on a personal venture to transform part of their privately-owned 400-year-old Gisburne Park Estate into a holistic sanctuary for mind, body and spirit.

Hindley, the great-grandson of British Homes Store (BHS) founder Harold Hindley, grew up on the estate and inherited it in 2003 as a neglected hunting property – once frequented by historical figures including Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II.

In the mid-1990s, the family sold the estate’s Grade I-listed Georgian mansion, which was later converted into a hospital.

However, during the pandemic, the Hindleys repurchased the property and have since spent approximately £15 million (US$19.5 million, €17.9 million) transforming part of the estate into a holiday village, complete with 84 lodges and 10 holiday cottages, a restaurant, a wedding venue, a seasonal glamping village and a range of event spaces.

Drawing inspiration from top private members clubs in London, New York and Los Angeles, the couple estimate realising the wellness club and hotel will require an additional £30 million (US$39 million, €36 million) investment.

The Hindleys plans to submit a formal planning application in early 2025.

The wellness club

“Gisburne Park will not be a traditional spa, but a holistic sanctuary designed to nurture members and their guests from top-to-toe,” Amber told Spa Business.

The private members club will combine fitness, spa, wellness and biohacking amenities with nature therapy, nutritious food and community events.

It will offer spa treatments, luxury wellness facilities, a riverfront gym, a 70-acre wildlife sanctuary and three miles of private river walks.

Plans also include a six-treatment-room spa, indoor and outdoor pools, plunge pools, wild swimming facilities, a spa garden, a Himalayan salt steamroom and indoor and outdoor infrared saunas.

Beyond the gym, fitness facilities will include pickleball, paddle and tennis courts, alongside a schedule of movement and mindfulness classes and a sports rehabilitation centre.

In addition to holistic treatments, members will have access to a suite of modern wellness technology including red light therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, cold immersion therapy, Vasper compression therapy, Live02 Exercise With Oxygen therapy (EWOT), pulsed electromagnetic field therapy and more.

"There’s nothing like this in the North," said Amber, who says the concept has already attracted the attention of high-profile members and organisations.

A number of local Premier League football clubs, including Manchester City, have indicated their interest to use the club for training camps and recovery.

Guy anticipates construction will begin next year, with completion expected in 18 months. He says the facility will be operated in-house “under the leadership of one of the UK’s leading wellness/spa managers”.

“Our vision for Gisburne Park Estate wellness club is to create a private sanctuary where members can come every day to feel good and improve their sense of wellbeing and fitness – all while being surrounded by the most beautiful setting and a sense of community.”