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UK: Time to chill out in Thorseby Hall

GRAND: Thoresby Hall

It doesn't have to be like that, of course. Thoresby Hall, just a couple of hours scenic drive away into Nottinghamshire, could be just what the doctor ordered.

The hall is the kind of house normally reserved for royalty , or more likely these days, footballers. Ok, so you have to share it with a few more people, but it's still the closest most of us are ever going to get to living in a stately home.

Located on the edge of Sherwood Forest and a 45 minute drive from Nottingham centre, there is plenty to see and do in the area. However, for many, Thoresby Hall is a destination in itself.

Set in acres of parkland the 18th century Grade I listed house is a short-break haven.

The old house is grand but certainly not snooty. The dramatic Great Hall and the Library, with its centrepiece fireplace with 15ft carved oak surround, are particularly impressive, combining a huge sense of space and history with an intimacy of service.

If you are feeling active you can hire a bike or there are tennis and golf courses nearby. On site there is a bowling green, croquet lawn, putting green, swimming pool, gym, fencing, archery and clay shooting.

Picturesque

Or if you fancy something gentler there are plenty of picturesque walks, strolling through the adjacent woodland or taking in the fragrant air of the secluded rose garden.

Like all Warner Breaks, Thoresby Hall is for adults only. But, obviously children aside, whether you want to chill out in the spa, watch a top cabaret show (when we were there it was The Pasadenas), enjoy a meal in one of the hotel's three restaurants, play a board game in the library, shoot pool in the games room or have a pint in the pub (yes, there is a chain-style pub in the hotel as well), there is something for everyone.

The choice is reflected in the range and age of guests, from couples, mums and daughters to groups of friends and hen parties.

The hotel also caters well for guests with disabilities.

We were on a spa break, which meant most of our time was spent in sheer indulgence and pampering.

The hotel's spa experience is three hours of me-time when you can relax in saunas, steam rooms and hydrotherapy pools or simply stretch out with a magazine on one of the lounger chairs.

Then to wake yourself up there is an ice cave - which looks like the inside of a huge freezer in need of a good defrosting and feels as cold.

As soon as you step in the drop in temperature hits you in the same way that the wall of heat does in a sauna.

And for the really brave there is crushed ice, which you can grab handfuls of to rub and let melt all over your body.

Well, I say brave because it sounds like torture, but after being in the heat of the steam room the reality leaves you feeling unbelievably invigorated.

It's not as shocking to the system as a cold plunge and once you've tried it, no doubt you'll want to go back for more.

There is also a wide range of holistic and beauty treatments available but the most interesting and unique is, I Health.

The energy monitoring technology was originally created for the Russian Space Program to help counteract the effect of zero gravity on cosmonauts.

Therapy

It is now widely used in the United States as a complementary therapy to assess physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state. Warner hotels are the first to introduce the system to the UK.

Although the technology behind it is complex, the procedure itself is very simple.

The therapist ties a small strap on your wrist and then, using a light probe, takes readings from acupressure points on your fingers and toes. The attached computer creates and prints an extensive personal report for you to take away, which gives information on nutrition and lifestyle with recommendations to boost vitality.

A series of light and sound waves are then used to help release energy blockages.

It is said to treat stress, hormonal disorders, lack of energy, muscle strain and poor circulation as well as offering information about personality and energy type, either earth, fire, wood or metal.

It's hard to see how it works but the detail seems accurate in a kind of psychic health way.

I was told I'm a water person and I'm in balance.

After three days chilling out at Thoresby Hall, I should hope so.

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