Cosy up in this wood-fired wild sauna close to the Frinton coast
As summer starts to morph into autumn, the thought of a cosy saunas grows more appealing. Set down a long, sometimes muddy track in Little Clacton, the Lodge Essex, is a sauna-focused wellness retreat set on the three-acre grounds of a former hunting lodge. Owned by a banking couple from London, Ffion, and Ollie, who grew up in this expansive property, and were inspired to pursue a more meaningful lifestyle during Lockdown.
Each has ingenious storage and Prithvi has a snug bed nook, a mini but fully-fitted kitchen with all the essentials - gas hob, coffee grinder and V60 filter - armchairs and a log burner. French doors let in light, views and lead to the firepit. Jala has a wide projector screen and the added kudos of a cast-iron roll-top wood-fired outdoor bath set among the trees fringed by centuries-old oak trees.
The wood-fired sauna is the star of the show, housed in a wooden space with a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the wild swimming pond. It can reach 110 degrees, and you can book an hour for yourself, with an adjoining changing area and toilet with a fittingly rustic-industrial copper sink and piping. Afterwards, cool down in the pond accessed via a decked space with wooden sun beds.
Non-guests can book a sauna session followed by yoga, breath work, crystal sound healing, massage, reflexology and reiki in the large tent in the grounds.