Spas are big business.
Apparently more than 35 million Brits spend £5.2bn on spa services and treatments each year, with the hotel spa market tempting more and more of us to unwind, de-stress and treat ourselves to a relaxing break that’s good for mind and body.
Hence the £1.4m spent refreshing the spa at Macdonald Craxton Wood, just north of Chester.
The spa here is self-contained, rather than leisure facilities and a couple of treatment rooms at a hotel, so you can treat yourself to a genuine spa day or, as we did, stay over too.
The major investment has created a lovely space in which to while away the day. Fancy a dip in the 18m pool with its two walls of windows overlooking the gardens? Why not dry off afterwards in the cute courtyard-style garden or on a sun lounger on the lawns?
At the heart of the spa is the thermal suite. Here there are two spacious saunas – one herbal, with a fixed temperature. A good-sized, sweetly scented steam room has colour-changing mood lighting. There’s also a foot spa and, to boost your circulation, a constantly refreshed supply of ice to wipe over your body after you’ve had a hot treatment. Invigorating stuff.
We enjoyed a healthy and tasty lunch in the light and airy spa café before heading off for our treatments. I was booked in for a facial. My 75 minutes also included a head, arm and hand massage and was a really enjoyable experience that left me looking, and feeling, better than when I went in! My husband was equally pleased with his back massage which he said was one of the best he’d had.

After easily whiling away a good six hours at the spa, we checked into our room at the hotel itself. Formerly a country house, it has had the standard hotel extensions you’ll find at most large hotels, and we were in one of the ‘Classic’ rooms in the modern wing. Upgrades (including rooms in the original manor house) are available but our room was large, comfortable and had everything we needed. Styling was traditional rather than contemporary but furnishings were fresh and new.
Our deal included dinner, for which we got two courses from a short menu which nonetheless covered most tastes. You can pay extra to add a starter or dessert, or use an £18 allowance against the rather pricy a la carte menu. Our meal was very well cooked but the portions were a little on the small size.
Breakfast was also served in the dining room’s conservatory extension overlooking the gardens – the hotel is beautifully surrounded by gardens and woodland, giving a really secluded and peaceful feel. There was a good choice of cereals, yoghurt and fruit, plus a full cooked breakfast and toast, setting you up nicely for the day.

And there are plenty of options for filling a day. You’re close to the city of Chester, Cheshire Oaks outlet shopping village and Chester Zoo. Blue Planet Aquarium just up the road in Ellesmere Port has Europe’s largest collection of sharks, or visit the National Waterways Museum. The county styles itself as having the best gardens in England, so that hackneyed phrase ‘something for everyone’ does seem to be covered by this corner of Cheshire.
Macdonald Craxton Wood is a comfortable, attractive hotel with a spa that certainly won’t disappoint. It also had some of the friendliest staff I’ve met. As 35 million of us are finding, a spa break is perfect for recharging the batteries.

Alison Ashmore

Spa break packages are from £129 per person, including dinner, bed and breakfast, full use of the spa and an hour long treatment.
www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

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Artist L S Lowry’s famous ‘matchstick men’ paintings set around his Salford home can’t really be considered beautiful or scenic. Yet there’s so much going on in them, they are well worth lingering over.

The same can be said of Salford itself. This borough of Greater Manchester, and a city in its own right, has been undergoing something of a renaissance of late following the decline of its traditional industries. This is especially true of Salford Quays, where the former docks are now home to smart high-rise apartments and offices, hotels and unique tourist attractions.

Perhaps not top of your city breaks list, it’s a modern cultural destination with plenty to see and do within one square mile, making it perfect for a day out or weekend break. And with everything within walking distance you don’t need to take the car.

So for our two-day exploration we took the direct train to Manchester Piccadilly (around one hour 25 minutes from Shrewsbury, one hour 10 from Wolverhampton) and then one of the fast, frequent and clean trams out to Salford Quays, a journey of about 15 minutes.

First stop was the award-winning IWM North, part of the five-strong Imperial War Museums

Imperial War Museum North

and the only one outside the south east. It’s memorable inside and out. Designed by the internationally-acclaimed architect behind the masterplan for Ground Zero in New York, it’s made up of three ‘shards’ reflecting a world shattered by conflict.

Since opening in 2002 this free museum has welcomed over three million visitors and reflects how war shapes lives. So while there are some ‘traditional’ exhibits, such as a tank, it’s much more the story of the impact of war on people, full of personal stories. One of the most striking exhibits is a large, twisted section of one of the Twin Towers. Also emotive is The Big Picture Show which effectively brings the museum to a halt every hour. As lights fade, images are projected on to the surfaces in the museum, accompanied by people telling stories of how war affected them, creating a 360-degree audio-visual experience that totally involves you. The show entitled Remembrance, with a couple talking about the death of their son in Afghanistan, moved me to tears.

A second gallery houses changing exhibitions, and until April it’s home to Blitzed Brits, based on the popular children’s books and TV series Horrible Histories.

Salford Quays is home to another cultural highlight, the Lowry Galleries. Part of a complex that includes two theatres that play host to top shows and performers, it’s where you’ll find the world’s largest collection of pictures by Salford’s most famous son. They are well worth seeing up close, and a film gave a fascinating insight into Lowry’s life and paintings, making sense of his varied body of work.

All that culture works up an appetite and there’s a good choice of eating places at the Lowry Outlet, a shopping centre with 80 stores offering discounts of up to 70%. We lunched at Café Rouge, one of a number of restaurant chains, before checking out the shops.

The Quays may cover only one square mile but with water in the way, you can’t always travel directly between destinations. This was especially true when we walked to our hotel, and a good map app on your phone is very useful.

Salford Quays offers plenty of options from a range of hotel chains, and we were staying at

The Copthorne, a four-star hotel conveniently located close to the tram stop and all the attractions. Our spacious room overlooked the water and across to the Quays skyline, dramatically lit at night.

One of the biggest developments at the Quays is MediaCityUK, home to five BBC departments, ITV Granada and Coronation Street. Tours of the BBC studios, including Match of the Day and Blue Peter, are available but need to be booked well in advance. Another great tour is at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, which is again within easy walking distance.

Salford Quays was one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the UK and although it’s a little rough around the edges, there are more than enough things going on to make it worth a visit. From the seven-metre section of steel destroyed in the 9/11 attacks to a world-class collection of paintings; the home of some of our most popular TV shows and Man United’s Theatre of Dreams; to shops, a cinema, theatre and even a watersports centre, this is a varied and fascinating destination just a train ride away.

 www.thequays.org.uk

Alison Ashmore

More than 16 million people visit the Lake District each year. Alison Ashmore joins them with a stay in Kendal

I’ve been visiting the Lake District for years. I’ve stayed in cottages, caravans and tents. But I hadn’t before experienced this lovely region in luxury.

Best Western Plus Castle Green Hotel

The Best Western Plus Castle Green Hotel is an independently owned, four star hotel with 99 bedrooms set in 14 acres of perfectly manicured gardens a mile from the centre of Kendal.

There’s an indoor pool and spa and even a pub, Alexander’s, which offers classic, and classy, pub meals and real ales.

The Castle Green has been showered with awards for its food, facilities and customer care. The hotel’s two AA Rosette restaurant has just undergone a major refurbishment and

launched a new menu from its award-winning chef and champion of local produce, Justin Woods.

Designed to showcase the best Lake District produce in a contemporary and inspiring way, the Greenhouse Restaurant features a five-course tasting menu alongside individually priced choices. Justin lives in a farming community and understands the link between ‘field and fork’ which is reflected in the local, tasty fare on offer.

Quality ingredients are combined in a creative way to offer interesting flavour and texture combinations – my starter of creamed goat’s cheese, roasted beetroots, honeycomb, granola, watercress and sherry vinegar dressing being a good example.

Curthwaite goats cheese

My husband raved about his main of loin and shoulder of Cumbrian lamb, with fondant potatoes, brown onion puree, asparagus, celeriac and curd cheese, enjoying the different flavours of the two cuts of meat.

Desserts were equally tasty; I settled for a light panna cotta with blood orange sorbet while hubby tucked into Cumbrian desserts in miniature – five little treats including damson bakewell, Kendal mint cake ice cream and sticky toffee pudding. Heaven for the sweet toothed.

It’s all served in an attractive, modern restaurant decorated in a colour scheme inspired by the landscape of the Lakes. There’s a spacious bar area with feature log burner for cooler evenings, while the lounge is colourful and dramatic with bright sofas and a domed roof light. The dining area itself has been divided into two areas giving a more intimate dining experience, while offering super views of the gardens and surrounding countryside.

We also had a lovely view of the grounds, which are full of mature trees, from our refurbished balcony bedroom. Although not large, it was comfy and well furnished, decorated in muted greens in a contemporary, although not cutting-edge, style. Nice touches like the bathrobes, slippers, and real tea pot and cafetiere, were appreciated.

Guests get free use of Pulse, the on-site health and fitness club. There are two gyms, a good-sized swimming pool and excellent steam room, plus The Green Rooms Spa where you can recharge your batteries with a variety of treatments. I began my second day at the hotel with a full-body aromatherapy massage which set me up nicely for the day.

Kendal itself is known as the ‘gateway to the Lakes’, being at the southern end of the Lake District and offering easy access. With England’s highest peak ­– Scafell – its longest lake ­– Windermere – and its deepest – Wastwater – this is our largest national park and paradise for keen walkers.

For those less enthusiastic about trudging up big hills in weather that isn’t always the kindest in the country (Seathwaite is the wettest inhabited place in England), there are plenty of other attractions. You can enjoy boat trips, museums, steam trains, castles and houses, from the stately to humble homes; Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth and John Ruskin all had properties here you can visit. The Lake District certainly cashes in on the first, and anyone, young or old, raised on Peter Rabbit and friends will love visiting the many attractions linked to the author who was a keen supporter of the National Trust, which owns and protects so much of the area.

But for me the joy of this northern corner of the country is the lakes and fells. While the main towns and places of interest do get very busy at times, head off into the hills and you leave most of the crowds behind. It’s easy to find a walk to suit any fitness level and you can marvel at views from the tops or looking up at the peaks.

Visit early in the year and you’ll get snow on the fell tops while the first spring flowers burst into bloom by the lakes. Go in autumn and enjoy the heather-covered hills and woods ablaze with colour.

Clear your mind walking in one of England’s most stunning locations then head back to The Castle Green Hotel for a pampering spa session and wonderful meal. Now that’s what I call relaxing.

Rooms at The Best Western Plus Castle Green Hotel in Kendal start from £108 bed and breakfast per night, per room, for two sharing. www.castlegreen.co.uk