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ACTIVE 8
comforts
also made welcome inside parts of the main hotel building including the beautiful Piano Bar.
Back to us humans. We enjoyed sessions in the lovely indoor pool and the well-equipped gym and Helen booked herself in for a relaxing Saturday morning massage to really help her chill out (see below). There were cycles to hire and fabulous rooms to relax in, including a cocktail lounge with sweeping views.
Perhaps the highlight of the weekend was the hotel’s restaurant experience, both for breakfast and dinner. The food was simply stunning. My favourite was a fabulous lamb main course - so tender it must have been cooking all day - and we all shared a chocolate fondue. Olivia’s vote went to a succulent steak, but also to breakfast time when the selection was nothing short of breathtaking. Once again, service was second to none.
Back down in Tewkesbury we explored an eclectic mix of fascinating independent shops, intriguing alleyways - and also found a most friendly inn. We took a short stroll along a bank of the Severn and noticed boat trips leaving along the Avon.
Tewkesbury is handily placed to explore other corners of the Cotswolds, including Stow and Evesham. Another attraction is the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway which has this Spring been extended to run from Cheltenham all the way to Broadway - just a 15-minute drive from Tewkesbury.
• Tewkesbury Park Hotel recently completed an extensive two-year renovation at a cost of £9 million, with the addition of nine luxury historic suites, two new spa rooms, two meeting rooms, an Orangery and a Cocktail Lounge. For information and reservations, call 01684 295405, email reservations@tewkesburypark.co.uk, or visit www.tewkesburypark.co.uk
I F a stay at this beautiful location wasn’t to prove relaxing enough, I indulged in a 60-minute full body massage at the hotel’s spa. I
was shown into one of the spa’s ambient treatments rooms by therapist Amanda Freeth.
Having opted for an invigorating oil packed with marjoram, ginger, clove, spearmint and mint, I made myself comfy and felt relaxed straight away. Amanda, ever conscious of my comfort, set to work on my tight shoulders and upper-back before moving onto my arms, hands, legs and feet, incorporating stretches, where appropriate, to help relieve tension further. The hour flew by and I was fighting sleep as Amanda finished the treatment with a sumptuous scalp massage.
Tewkesbury Park Hotel Spa offers everything from a one-off treatment to spa breaks combining pamper packages with use of the health suite.
Helen Firth
Our canine-welcoming room.... and chocolate fondue
The sun sets over the surrounding parkland
Harry settles down on his memory-foam mattress bed!
One of the venue’s superior bedrooms
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