Gawping at the lush Leicestershire countryside, my friend and I - both partied-out urbanites - arrived at the sprawling Victorian estate at Ragdale Hall ready to be soothed, calmed and chilled out

We were warmly welcomed by staff, for whom nothing seemed too much trouble, and hot-footed it to our room where our pre-requisite fluffy robes and slippers awaited us.

Our treatments were scheduled for the following morning, so we padded down to Ragdale's state-of-the-art Thermal Spa to explore its intricate labyrinth of nautically-themed enclaves.

Inside a nautilus

Designed like the cross-section of a giant nautilus shell for a cosy, cocooning effect, we started off in the Candle Pool. We paddled like kids down the steps and settled in its warm, mosaic-lined pods, chatting quietly, enjoying the flicker of candles and star-lit ceiling. Next we braved the intense Volcanic Salt Bath, a stylish set-up of black granite walls and benches, where we were engulfed by the 42-degree celsius heat and 100 per cent humidity.

It soon became obvious we weren't the only ones opting for some post-new year 'R and R' and some areas, such as the gently-scented Thought Zone, felt more like Piccadilly Circus than a positive thought-inducing sauna.

But the Waterfall Pool more than made up for the busyness - my favourite part by far - allowing us to swim outside in mercifully well-heated waters, our heads tingling in the chilly Northern air.

Feed the body

After all our splashing about, our thoughts soon turned to our stomachs, and we headed to the restaurant for dinner - still proudly enrobed - where low-fat options were readily available. We shunned these in favour of a hearty, calorie-rich three-course meal, with the highlights including duck with cherry and mustard mash, and vanilla bean and mint creme brulee, which tasted like a giant after-eight!

All this was washed down with a glass of red, and finding ourselves the last to leave at 10pm, we retired sheepishly to bed.

The next morning, we were woken from deep slumbers by the arrival of breakfast, which we enjoyed in bed. Then it was time for yet more pampering as we shuffled off for our treatments.

Treatment time

I'd opted for the Decleor Moroccan Spice Earth Detox Face and Body, because I'd never had a body wrap and it felt more adventurous than going for the usual massage.

I was led into a small, dimly-lit room where my therapist, Jenny, talked me through the detoxifying benefits of the 135-minute treatment. I then lay down on a heated bed and tried not to nod off as she began with a facial, slathering on some yummy-smelling Decleor cleansing milk and toning lotion followed by a Phyto Peel.

After this was removed, I again fought sleep as she gave me an excellent aromatherapy back massage to the tune of some soporific music (hard to identify but sounded suspiciously like Peruvian pan pipes).

Then it was time for the body wrap, which involved being coated neck to ankle in a warm balm of Moroccan clays and essential oils, and being wrapped up in the plastic sheet I was lying on. I was then enveloped in a heated blanket, like a sticky Christmas present, and I began to feel uncomfortably claustrophobic.

This, combined with the balm's slightly nauseating smell, induced minor panic when Jenny left the room for a few minutes and I stared at the ceiling, trying not to think about the glass of water I desperately wanted but couldn't physically reach, imploring her to come back.

Finally, the door opened and it was with some relief I shook myself free of the plastic sheeting and dived into the shower to rinse it all off. After this, things got back on track and I returned to the bed for a deep, draining face massage. By the time I was done, my small panic attack was forgotten and I wafted out the room feeling pleasantly comotosed and smelling like a fruit harvest.

Removing bad spirits and relaxing

When I met up with my friend, she was in a similar state. She'd gone for the Li'Tya Marta Kodo Massage, an 80-minute Australian Aboriginal treatment designed to re-align energy flow, relieve tension and detoxify. She was asked to select a scented oil from a choice of three with which to coat her body, and after much sniffing, settled on the lavendery, energising option.

Momentarily alarmed by the burning of Aussie tree bark (used by Aborigines in spiritual ceremonies to remove bad spirits) wafting round the room, she soon began to feel the massage's relaxing benefits as she was kneaded, prodded and rubbed.

The excitement of the treatments left us, again, desperately hungry, and we were overjoyed to be confronted by a huge buffet of salads, fish and healthy meat curries in the restaurant.

So it was with full stomachs, satin-smooth skin and stress-free heads that we bundled back into the car for the drive back to the city. Our detox was over. Now it was time to party!

Need to know

Ragdale Hall Health Hydro
Ragdale Village
Melton Mowbray
Leicestershire, LE14 3PB
Tel: 01664 434 831
www.ragdalehall.co.uk

From £309 per person for a two-night weekend stay, sharing an economy room, inclusive of all meals, use of facilities, plus a 50-minute body massage or facial. For the same package midweek (for two nights per person), prices start from £249.