There’s more to Leicestershire’s Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa than just treatments, as Lindsay Pantry discovered...

And I was not disappointed by my first visit to Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa – a multi-award winning spa tucked away in the Leicestershire countryside.

We were welcomed with a cup of coffee in the sunny Garden Room bar before having a tour of the Hall – a must for those wanting to make the most of the rambling facilities, as there’s much more to Ragdale than the spa and treatments.

Tucked away into corners of the 1785-built hall are an array of beautifully decorated rooms to relax, unwind and fully experience the Ragdale effect.

The Hall has been a health hydro since 1973 but it has continued to evolve – back then guests were allowed just 500 calories a day – something that would be hard to keep to with the array of delicious treats on offer during your three-course buffet lunch or a la carte dinner.

Of course, there’s plenty of options for the health conscious, with the most indulgent marked on the menu with a three ‘window’ code - and you can always sign up for one of the many studio classes or aqua fit sessions on offer.

Keen to experience as much as possible, we signed up for a Hula Hoop fitness class which taught us new moves while strengthening those abs (even more so with all the laughing we did at each other).

Fitness out of the way, we headed over to the Temple Spa, which offers one of the biggest selections of spa rooms I’ve experienced. My favourites were the aromatic Colour Flow Cave and Volcanic Salt Bath – but a must is the Candle Pool, a hidden cavern of pools lit with fairy lights and candles that is the ultimate in relaxation.

Already in spa mode, we headed for our full body massage, tailored to your preferences, and leaving you in a bliss-like state.

Head to dinner in your robe – that way you can head straight back to the spa to experience the Waterfall Pool at night. On our trip we were the only ones using the spa area in the late evening – it’s open until 10pm – and as the steam rose from the pool any worries left lingering well and truly melted away.

Retreating to our superior room for the night, the taxing day took its toll before we could watch the end of the complementary movie, but a good night’s sleep was needed in order to tackle the beautiful breakfast served in our room the next day.

There was no need to leave our overnight break until 6pm, so plenty of time to sneak in an extra treatment, more time at the spa or even to make use of the plentiful outdoor equipment. Be sure to take a brisk walk in the ground before driving home - you’ll need it to wake yourself up out of Ragdale mode.