Despite being housed in a Grade 1 listed building on the edge of Sherwood Forest, surrounded by acres of parkland and manicured Victorian gardens, Clare Spurrell managed to bypass the pomp and ceremony, dodge the Tony Christie impersonators, and get down to the good stuff in the spa at Thoresby Hall

There is no doubting that Thoresby Hall is beautiful, steeped in history and just gagging for a Jane Austen film crew to turn up. The 64-foot Great Hall is resplendent with family portraits of the Pierreponts and Minvers, along with coats of arms, plates of armour and period-style furniture.

There is a magnificent fireplace in the library with the image of Robin Hood carved into the side (this is Sherwood Forest after all) making it a great place to unwind with a selection of board games during the winter. The Wedgwood Blue Drawing Room, also known as The Blue Room, is littered with urns, cherubs and floral decorations in the luscious style of the period. And here you can also taste the hotel's a la carte menu.

Aside from the Blue Room, there are two other restaurants at Thoresby Hall. The Pierrepont Room serves traditional fare, while the Bistro (where I ate) is meant to be a more intimate affair. I must admit I was not bowled over by the food - my mashed potato looked and tasted suspiciously like Smash, and they also provided sauces in plastic packets - which is a pet hate of mine that should be reserved for service stations and fast food chains only, if at all.

Evening entertainment at Thoresby Hall Some might say that Thoresby Hall is suitable for an older clientele, but with Phoenix Nights-esque, cabaret-style entertainment in the evening (Tony Christie eat your heart out), it isn't for everyone. Great fun for grannies with a bit of get up and go, but if it's a romantic weekend away or a girlie break you're looking for, this isn't the place for you.

The Spa

The spa at Thoresby Hall is a totally different affair, and seems to attract a lot of guests from the local area who are not staying at the hotel. With a good menu of treatments for men, the spa attracts couples of all ages and plenty of mums and daughters too. The spa focuses around the bathing ritual of intermittently heating and cooling the body in the various rooms.

These include the torturous ice bath room (I tried it, it hurts), a Hamman Steam room with herbal aromas to cleanse your skin and respiratory system, and a Sanarium which combines sauna and steam with funky modern mood lighting and relaxing piano music.

Thoresby Hall spa The spa experience rooms are all quite small, but well spread out across the complex. There is also a large pool housed in the glass dome-covered courtyard, which also has one of two Jacuzzis next to it. The other Jacuzzi is in a separate room adjoining this, where footbaths can also be found.

Between treatments I spent most of my time dozing in the relaxation room which is a real sun trap in the summer. There are plenty of sofas and recliners, plus massage water beds which you can control yourself remotely. It's a great way to unwind and relax after a hard day of facials and manicures!

The spa uses mainly Decleor and Thalgo products but has a wide and impressive menu of available treatments. I had the Decleor fast-track facial which took 25 minutes and is ideal for the time sensitive. My therapist, Melissa, really put me at ease, knew a great deal about the products and took time to explain everything to me. I was also introduced to Decleors Phytopeel, which I have to admit left my skin with really noticeable results.

Smoother, fresher and less tired-looking, I padded off for my back, neck and shoulders massage with Emma. I am a tricky customer to please when it comes to massage, but I was really impressed with this one. My only complaint was that at 25 minutes, it was over a bit too quickly. I should perhaps have opted for the hour-long Swedish massage.

Rest and play

Thoresby Hall also offers a host of activities for its guests including archery, fencing, croquet and shooting. You can also hire a mountain bike and head off to explore the 65 acres of parkland for a small charge. Talk to reception when you arrive and they will book you in for any extra activities you are interested in doing.

As 'spa guests' we stayed in one of the spa rooms, close to the spa itself. Each room comes with an array of Molton Brown toiletries and are done up boutique-style, with larger than large beds. A relatively new addition, these relaxing rooms are well positioned for people who just want a quick spa stop, preferring to catch an early night over 'finding the way to Amarillo' in the bar in the evening.

Getting there
For more information on Thoresby Hall Hotel & Spa, including room prices and spa tariffs, visit www.warnerbreaks.co.uk/thoresby-hall