Sauna Stories: A restorative wild‑swim and sauna session at FLO Wellbeing on the edge of Stowe in Oxfordshire.
Sauna Stories continues – and this time we’re much closer to home than the last episode…
What began as a gentle nudge from Fiona and then a full‑blown enthusiasm from Jenny has now become one of the most grounding practices in my life. The more I explore the world of heat and cold, the more I understand why this ritual has been part of human wellbeing for thousands of years. And why they’re suddenly everywhere in the UK, from lakeside saunas to tiny mobile cabins to full outdoor spa setups. We seem to be collectively remembering that stepping into heat, plunging into cold, and returning to heat again is one of the simplest ways to feel present in our own bodies.
For me, in this season of grief, sauna has become something more than a trend. It’s one of the few things that pulls me fully into myself – into breath, into sensation, into the here‑and‑now. In the heat, I can feel my body soften. In the cold, I can feel my mind sharpen. And somewhere between the two, I find a much-needed steadiness.
So here we are again: another chapter in Sauna Stories, another small adventure in the name of wellbeing. This time at FLO Wellbeing, a wild‑swimming and outdoor‑spa haven tucked into the countryside near Silverstone and Stowe.
FLO Wellbeing
FLO Wellbeing sits on Blackpit Farm, between Silverstone and Stowe in Oxfordshire, a lakeside spot that has been turned into somewhere designed for exhaling. The outdoor‑spa has been built around a natural lake, with a wood‑fired sauna, cold‑water plunge pools, hot tubs, and space to simply be. It’s a place where you arrive, breathe out, and immediately feel your shoulders drop a couple of inches.
The heart of FLO Wellbeing is its deep clay-bottomed lake: a beautiful, open‑water space where you can take a refreshing dip year‑round. From there, you can warm up in the wood‑fired sauna (capacity around eight people) or move between the hot tubs, cold trough, and plunge pools depending on the session you’ve booked. Their ‘swim, sauna and plunge’ experience is a popular 90‑minute option, while the full outdoor‑spa sessions include hot tubs and a welcome drink.
The setup is simple but thoughtful: changing rooms, hot showers, toilets, and a decked area overlooking the water. FLO also runs retreats, seasonal events, and even Pilates‑plus‑sauna mornings for those who want a deeper reset. There’s a strong emphasis on nature, calm, and community; nothing flashy, nothing over‑designed, just a well‑run space that invites you to slow down.
A Needed Reset in the Oxfordshire Countryside
Jenny and I booked the 90‑minute hot tub, swim, sauna and cold‑plunge session at FLO Wellbeing for 1 March – St David’s Day – which felt like a fitting way to welcome spring. It turned out to be a very fortuitous booking: we’d both had particularly heavy weeks and arrived carrying more than we’d said out loud. We were holding a weariness that sits in your bones. The kind of tiredness that needs heat, cold, and quiet to shift.
The weather was kind to us. Mostly dry, a bit of drizzle towards the end, but still and soft enough that the air temperature felt almost pleasant. FLO Wellbeing is tucked just off the main road, down a gated lane that opens as you approach. It feels hidden, but not remote, a pocket of calm nestled between farmland and woodland.
Every member of staff we met, including the lifeguard watching over the lake, seemed genuinely happy to be there, which set the tone beautifully. The changing rooms were spacious, the showers warm, the loos clean, and the whole place had that ‘thoughtfully simple’ feel I’ve come to appreciate in outdoor spa setups. It has been relentlessly wet in the UK this year, so the ground was muddy, and I was extremely grateful for my slides. Crocs, slides, anything with grip – absolutely essential for any sauna in the UK, but especially this one.
Heat, Cold, Conversation, Repeat
We started in the sauna, which was a squeeze based on the number of people booked onto the same session. But the hot tub more than made up for it; wood‑fired, steaming gently in the cool air, and ours alone for the 90 minutes. Sitting there, surrounded by woodland and water, chatting away about life, the universe and everything, felt like exactly what we both needed.
The lake was about eight degrees, though it felt colder. It has a clay bottom, so I didn’t put my feet down! I think I had three swims, maybe four. The last one was a good couple of minutes, which felt like an achievement, but goodness it was cold. Each time I climbed out, skin tingling and breath sharp, I headed straight for the sauna to warm up (we were asked not to go from cold water straight into a hot tub – cold plunge, sauna, then hot tub).
We didn’t bother with the bucket showers or the trough of cold water; the lake was more than enough. And while we thought 90 minutes would feel like ages, it absolutely flew by. Next time we’re booking the three‑hour session so we can do more rounds of heat and cold and, let’s be honest, more rounds of chatting, which is half the reason to go.
The whole thing was deeply restorative. Afterwards, we laced up our boots and walked from Blackpit Farm up to the Wolfe Obelisk and trig pillar on the edge of Stowe, then wandered through the famous parkland and gardens for a good five miles. Fresh air, big skies, show-off follies appearing at every turn. And then, naturally, one of Jenny’s go‑to spots for an excellent late lunch. The perfect end to a morning that felt like a reset button.
A Quiet, Smoky, Restorative Morning
The wood‑fired sauna, the wood‑fired hot tubs, and the fire pit by the lake gave the whole place a haze of wood smoke. With that, FLO Wellbeing felt both accessible and special, a little pocket of calm in the Oxfordshire countryside, perfect for anyone curious about wild swimming, sauna culture, or simply taking an hour to reconnect with themselves.
What really stood out were the thoughtful touches: a sheltered space to retreat to when the drizzle arrived, floaties provided for use in the lake, covered shelves and plenty of hooks for towels and bags, and delicious-tasting electrolytes by the hot tubs. There was hot tea waiting by the sauna too, a small kindness that makes you feel looked after. Staff drifted in and out just enough to check everyone was having a good time, without ever breaking the calm.
I’m not going to pretend that this morning with Jenny – the sauna, the lake swims, the hot tub, the walk afterwards – solved any of the heaviness we carried in with us. But it did help us sit still for a while. To breathe. To be in our bodies rather than in our heads. There is real power in that, especially on the days when everything feels a bit too much.
FLO Wellbeing felt more like a business than The Wild Sauna, and it was definitely less ‘quiet’ in a lot of ways, but it was a genuinely lovely setup. And I can absolutely see myself returning later in the year for the full three‑hour session, more rounds of heat and cold, and more time for the kind of conversations that make these little adventures so worthwhile. Apparently there’s an otter living in the lake too; he didn’t appear for us, but that just gives me another reason to go back.
FLO Wellbeing: Sauna Stories Fact File
Location: Blackpit Farm, near Silverstone, Oxfordshire.
Sauna: Finnish‑style wood‑fired sauna overlooking the lake, seating around eight.
Cold Plunge: Natural lake, cold dunk trough and bucket showers.
Facilities: Spacious changing rooms, hot showers, toilets, decked lake access, lifeguard on duty, drinking water.
Atmosphere: Friendly, welcoming, slightly busier/livelier than smaller setups but still restorative; a mix of regular wild swimmers and first‑timers.
What to Bring: Two towels, swimsuit, water bottle, flip flops/slides/crocs (essential for muddy ground), warm layers for afterwards.
Extras: Wood‑fired hot tubs cost extra; seasonal events and retreats; Pilates‑plus‑sauna mornings.
Travel: Best by car (easy access via a gated lane that opens automatically); parking on site; walking routes from Blackpit Farm into Stowe parkland.
Price: £30 for 90 minutes including the hot tub. £18 without the hot tub.
Booking: Direct via the FLO Wellbeing website.
What do you think? Comment below...