Sauna Stories: Potentially my new favourite – Scenic Sauna is found in woodland at Far Peak near Northleach in the Cotswolds.
There was a time when spending a Sunday voluntarily alternating between a hot wooden box and cold water would have sounded utterly ridiculous to me. These days, however, a monthly sauna trip with my friend Jenny has become a rather lovely tradition that I never want to end.
It is all part of the same desire that has fuelled many of my recent adventures, both large and small. I have found myself leaning into experiences that encourage me to be present. That might mean travelling to another country, seeing several shows in a weekend, or – in this case – booking a sauna in the Cotswolds and making a day of it.
For September’s Sauna Stories outing, we headed to Scenic Sauna at Far Peak near Northleach. And it turned out to be one of those places that gets almost everything right.
First Impressions
Far Peak is a sizeable site combining a campsite, café, climbing centre, padel club, and various other activity-based businesses in plenty of open space. And Scenic Sauna sits in amongst all that. It would have been easy for the sauna area to feel exposed or busy as a result.
Instead, it felt surprisingly secluded.
The sauna space has clearly been designed to create a sense of privacy and calm. Bamboo-style screening, thoughtful planting, fairy lights and festoon lighting all help define the area, making it feel separate from the rest of the site. Even though there was plenty happening elsewhere nearby, once inside the sauna area it felt peaceful and self-contained.
It was also one of the more thoughtfully arranged venues I have visited.
There were private changing cubicles, lockers for storing belongings, drinking water was provided, and there was the option to purchase electrolytes if desired. The only slight inconvenience was that the nearest toilets are located up by the café and campsite rather than within the sauna area itself. It is only a short walk, but definitely worth remembering before settling into your session.
My Scenic Sauna Experience
We had booked a one-hour communal session at a cost of £18 each, which seems pretty standard compared with most sauna experiences I have tried so far.
Personally, I still prefer a ninety-minute session when possible. An hour can feel a little rushed once you’ve settled into a rhythm of heat and cold, but it was the longest option available when we booked.
There were six of us sharing the session, including Jenny and me. I would probably not have wanted many more people in the space, but with six it felt comfortable enough as there was room to spread out a little.
The sauna itself is a barrel sauna, beautifully finished and capable of reaching a satisfyingly hot temperature. We followed our usual routine of three or four rounds, moving between the heat of the sauna and the cold-water facilities outside.
While Scenic Sauna does not have a lake, it does have a number of cold plunge pools along with a cold shower. The plunge pools were deep enough to feel properly refreshing, easy to get into and out of, and cold enough to provide the invigorating shock that makes the return to the sauna feel so rewarding.
There is something wonderfully simple about the process – as always. Sit in the heat. Cool down. Repeat. Chat with a friend. Watch the world slow down a little. The hour passed too quickly.
Making a Day of It
One thing Jenny and I seem to have developed a habit of doing is combining our sauna sessions with something else. A good lunch, a walk, or another activity turns a sauna booking into a proper day out, and I rather enjoy that approach.
Naturally, the first thing we did after our session, was head to Roots + Seeds for lunch. Onsite at Far Peak, I knew the food was good here, as I had the pleasure at an Ordnance Survey meet-up last year. This time I chose the fish finger sandwich, and it was very big and very tasty! Delicious.
Once (very) full, we headed out for a walk in the countryside from Chedworth to and around Chedworth Woods. The village is full of traditional stone cottages and is built on such a steep-sided hill that it feels as though you are standing at both front door and chimney level at the same time.
The route took us through woodland and open countryside, passing close to Chedworth Roman Villa. The first section was surprisingly overgrown and muddy, requiring a little more concentration than expected, but once we found the wider forest tracks the walking became much easier.
Mosaics and Snails
We didn’t go inside the villa itself as we wanted to walk, but it’s an interesting-looking place that will be worth using my National Trust membership for at some point. Hidden away in the valley below the woods, it’s hard to imagine that one of Britain’s grandest Roman villas lies just beyond the trees. From the footpaths you only catch glimpses of the site, but those are enough to spark the imagination and add a sense of history to the landscape.
The route also took us beneath a towering brick railway bridge that seemed slightly incongruous amongst the ancient woodland and rolling Cotswold scenery. We also passed the remains of a Roman temple, meaning that within the space of a couple of miles we had encountered traces of nearly two thousand years of human history.
Chedworth Woods sits between two valleys and, amongst its inhabitants, boasts Roman snails, descendants of those imported by the Romans close on two millennia ago. Parts of the surrounding landscape have been given over to rewilding and are now off limits to visitors. It was lovely to see nature being allowed to reclaim some space, and it added an extra layer of interest to what was otherwise a reasonably gentle four-mile loop.
This is the route we walked on OS Maps, created by Country Walking Magazine. There’s also a longer seven-miler if you have a bit more time.
Some Thoughts on Scenic Sauna
Scenic Sauna is exactly the sort of place I hoped this Sauna Stories series would help me discover. It manages to feel welcoming, cosy and peaceful without being pretentious. The facilities are well considered, the sauna itself is excellent, and the whole experience encourages you to slow down for a while.
Would I return? Absolutely.
We learnt that Scenic Sauna is expanding this winter by installing a second sauna, which should make the venue even better. And while Flo Wellbeing still holds a special place in my heart thanks to its wonderful swimming lake, Scenic Sauna has quietly moved right towards the top of my list. Combined with a great place to eat and good countryside walks close by, it made for a near-perfect day out.
And really, that’s what these sauna adventures have become all about. Not just the heat and cold, but carving out time to do something that leaves me feeling calmer, happier and a little more grounded than I did before.
It should also be said that Scenic Sauna hosts Wim Hof workshops from time to time. Given my growing enthusiasm for saunas and cold-water immersion, I have to admit I am tempted. Whether that is a sensible next step or simply evidence that I am disappearing ever further down the wellness rabbit hole remains to be seen.
Scenic Sauna: Sauna Stories Fact File
Location: Far Peak, near Northleach, Gloucestershire (Cotswolds).
Sauna: Communal barrel sauna with space for six to eight people.
Cold Plunge: Cold plunge pool and cold shower.
Facilities: Private changing cubicles, lockers, drinking water, seating areas within the sauna enclosure. Toilets are located a short walk away near the café and campsite facilities.
Atmosphere: Relaxed, peaceful and surprisingly private-feeling despite being part of a much larger site. Thoughtful planting, bamboo-style screening and festoon lighting create a cosy retreat vibe.
What to Bring: Two towels, swimsuit, water bottle and something warm for afterwards. Sliders or flip-flops are useful for moving between the sauna, plunge pool and changing rooms.
Extras: Wim Hof workshops, café on site, campsite facilities, outdoor activity hub.
Travel: Best reached by car. Free parking available on site.
Price: £18 per person for a one-hour communal sauna session.
Booking: Direct via the website.
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