Britain's country hotel spas

Pennyhill Park, The Spa at Pennyhill Park
The UK's biggest hotel spa is at Pennyhill Park in Surrey, southwest of London, boasting 21 treatment rooms, a thermal sequencing suite with ice caves, saunas and themed showers and, at times, the English rugby team, which practices on the pitch at the hotel. This spa focuses on luxury, whether it's a champagne manicure or a 'chocolate and vanilla body therapy' (£120). The hotel is a 19th-century mansion, overlooking glorious Surrey countryside, and the elegant terraces are perfect for an indulgent, post-spa afternoon tea. From £180 per room per night.
Our reviewer says: Out-of-the-ordinary offerings like a Schnapps steam room, Aboriginal products and big treatment rooms will woo spa-lovers. Plus, the wet treatment room for two gives new meaning to the phrase 'dirty weekend'. Read the full review here.

Bailiffscourt, Temple Spa
Ideal for beach lovers, Bailiffscourt in West Sussex is just a few minutes stroll from the English Channel. The hotel looks like a 17th-century manor house but was actually built in the 1920s, while the Temple Spa opened in 2003. Treatments have a strong Mediterranean feel; the Mediterranean marinade facial (£40) is packed with sun-kissed herbs and minerals; body treatments contain plenty of citrus oils; and the 'Tapas' menu contains side orders such as waxing. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools and jacuzzis, and room and breakfast costs from £185 per night.

Stapleford Park, The Spa at Stapleford
For a traditional English-country-house experience, it doesn't get any better than Stapleford Park, a glorious 16th-century mansion, with each of the 51 high-impact bedrooms styled by a different designer, from Liberty to Pirelli. Children are well catered for, with plenty of activities, so adults can wander into the gorgeous Capability Brown-designed parkland, or sneak off to the Clarins spa for a steam, swim and indulgent facial. Traditional English pursuits are also on offer, such as carriage-driving and falconry. From £230 per room per night.

Northern England

Seaham Hall, Serenity Spa
Hidden away on England's northeast coast, close to the cathedral city of Durham, lies Seaham Hall, once home to the poet Lord Byron, now an superb hotel with the award-winning Serenity Spa attached. The spa has an oriental theme, with traditional Japanese and Thai massage therapies such as the Zen Kai-Kan massage - which uses stroking movements designed to balance the body - and fruit and herbal ingredients. The hydrotherapy pool, with its different jets and massage streams, is wonderfully invigorating, but to feel really indulged order a glass of champagne and lie back in the outdoor jacuzzi, surrounded by glorious Northumbrian countryside. Tara Palmer-Tomkinson is said to be a fan of this spa. Room and breakfast from £195 per night.

Prices and details are correct at time of publication.