I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I stopped once this summer. Festival season hit hard, there was Oasis, the sun was shining for a good chunk of time and everyone was constantly wanting to do stuff. It was fun, but oh so tiring. So when Moddershall Oaks got in touch about a little spa retreat, who was I to say no?
Currently nominated for ‘Best Spa For Wellness’ in the 2025 Good Spa Guide Awards, and previously named ‘Experience of the Year’ at the 2022 Staffordshire Tourism and Good Food Awards, this beautiful country spa has been making waves for a number of years.
Set in 72 acres of private Staffordshire countryside, this gorgeous retreat has a lot to offer – luxurious indoor and outdoor spa facilities, new woodland pods, a newly renovated restaurant and balcony bar, and an extensive menu of spa treatments to enjoy in their cosy former farmhouse.
The venue is also a stunning location to host a wedding reception, with a wedding taking place during our visit. The lake gives a beautiful backdrop for those all-important pictures.
It’s a warm welcome from the team when we arrive, with a tasty elderflower spritz to enjoy while we fill in our preferences for our spa treatments. We’re shown to our boutique bedroom suite, which is stylishly decorated and has a view of the peaceful green space outside.
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With time before dinner, we quickly change into our swim gear and jump straight into the outdoor spa pool, nestled in the central courtyard. Here you can order drinks to the poolside, so full relaxation can commence.
A spa suite at Moddershall OaksThere’s even a spin studioModdershall Oaks gymA sauna at Moddershall OaksThere are outdoor and indoor spa facilitiesThe beautiful groundsThere are outdoor and indoor spa facilitiesDinner at The Oak House restaurantThe 10m indoor pool
We dine in The Oak House restaurant, which has recently been renovated to an obviously high standard. The team are attentive without being overbearing and make fantastic suggestions for what to try. The menu hosts seasonal produce, with the peppered seabass being a standout. With it being my guest’s birthday, the restaurant team surprised him with a birthday pudding – a wonderful surprise.
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We finished our evening with cocktails on the new balcony bar, with fantastic views of the lake and local countryside – a tranquil end to our first day.
Being the keen bean that I am, I was up early to make full use of the fitness facilities. There are classes which you can book onto through the spa reception as part of your stay, but I just made use of their modern gym, which I had all to myself for my workout. A quick sauna to relax the muscles after my session was a welcome addition to the start of my day too.
Breakfast at Moddershall Oaks takes the shape of a continental buffet breakfast, perfect for those, like me, who love a cereal salad (if you know, you know). Being in Staffordshire, I had to opt for the traditional oatcakes, which were delicious. They’re kind of like a pancake, but savoury and also like a wrap? Hard to describe but well worth sampling while you’re in the area.
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We enjoyed a short session in the private heated pool, which you have to pre-book. There is even a button you can press to request drinks to be delivered to you – how much more boujee can you get?
My guest enjoyed an orange blossom oil massage, the first time they’d ever had a spa treatment in their 40 years on this earth, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. I treated myself to a triple session, with a reflexology foot massage, back, neck and shoulder massage and a facial to finish. I practically floated out of the room, I was that relaxed. I was also completely unconscious from about 8.30pm that night until my alarm went off at 7am the next morning, so something definitely worked.
Within an hour from Manchester, this lavish country spa deserves every accolade and should make its way onto your autumnal itinerary for a well deserved post-summer reset. You won’t regret it.
You can find out more about Moddershall Country Spa and book your trip here.
Exciting new CGIs released of Greater Manchester town’s first train station in 60 years
Emily Sergeant
Some new CGIs of a train station set to be built in a Greater Manchester town that’s been without one for 60 years have been released.
It’s been a whopping six decades, but the residents of Golborne will soon be able to hop on a train out of there, because a planning application to connect the Greater Manchester town, in the Wigan borough, was approved by Wigan Council back in May after it was submitted back in November of last year.
This means connectivity is finally one step closer to becoming reality.
Alongside the CGIs, a flythrough video of the new £32m rail station set to be built next year has also been revealed.
Following strong public support in a 2024 consultation, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) will be working in partnership with Wigan Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to deliver the major project.
A new flythrough video reveals plans for a £32m rail station in Golborne – reconnecting the town to the network for the first time in 60+ years.
Construction starts next year, first trains by 2027.
Golborne-based engineering firm Murphy has been appointed to develop the station designs, taking into account the feedback from the local community.
A full business case is set to be submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) in early 2026, and then, subject to approval, construction work is expected to start in the summer.
In case you didn’t know, Golborne currently has no direct bus, train, or tram services to Manchester, while the wider area is the largest and most-populous area in Greater Manchester not connected to the rail network.
According to approved plans, the new accessible two-platform station will feature improved car parking and better walking and cycling links to the town centre, as well as also enable ‘seamless connections’ and support Greater Manchester’s vision for a fully integrated Bee Network by 2030.
Exciting new CGIs of a Greater Manchester town’s first train station in 60 years have been released / Credit: TfGM
Mayor Andy Burnham says this is ‘the next major milestone’ for Golborne train station.
“The latest designs showcasing the transformation that’s on the way, with a station right at the heart of this community,” he commented.
“Golborne will play a vital role in our ambitious plans to make travel across Greater Manchester easier, greener, simpler, and more connected. This forms part of our plans to expand the Bee Network, with 64 stations joining by 2028 and a further 32 by 2030.
“I’m pleased that, after decades of being cut off from our train network, Golborne will be at the heart of the change.”
Featured Image – TfGM
Travel & Tourism
Manchester set for its busiest weekend of the year with people urged to ‘plan ahead’
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is gearing up for what’s set to be its busiest weekend of the year, and people traveling into the city centre are being urged to ‘plan ahead’.
It’s officially a month to go until Christmas Day is here, and with the festive countdown now well under way, especially with Black Friday coming up at the end of this week (28 November) too, shoppers will be eager to bag a bargain and get some Christmas gifts for their loved ones – heading to the city centre shops or Christmas Markets.
This weekend, and Saturday (29 November) in particular, is traditionally one of the busiest of the year, and even saw the highest footfall in the city centre last year.
As well as people heading to the city centre to shop, there are also several other events happening across the weekend.
Manchester City host Leeds in a 3pm kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, while Bad Omens, and Sonny Fodera play Co-op Live on Friday and Saturday night respectively, while Wolf Alice are also set to return to Manchester for a Black Friday performance at the AO Arena.
Manchester city centre is set for one of its busiest weekends of the year with Black Friday shopping, festive markets, football at the Etihad, and major gigs at Co-op Live and AO Arena.
To keep the city moving, We're offering: ✔ Park & Ride carparks with shuttle buses ✔… pic.twitter.com/zy0bnWCDDw
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Manchester City Council, and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are all working together to manage the volume of people expected into the city centre this weekend – but even despite their efforts, people are still being urged to plan ahead, especially when it comes to transport.
Anyone looking to beat the traffic is encouraged to make use of the Bee Network, with trams and buses being both the quickest and cheapest way to travel this weekend.
TfGM says roads are expected to be ‘very busy’ during peak times this weekend, so it’s important that anyone planning to make their way into the city centre by vehicle avoid the busiest periods if they can.
The busiest times are predicted to be 3pm to 7pm on Friday, 4pm to 9pm on Saturday, and 3pm to 6:30pm on Sunday.
Manchester is set for its busiest weekend of the year with people urged to ‘plan ahead’ / Credit: Manchester City Council
Some of the extra measures currently in place to help people get in an around the city centre this week include free pop-up park and ride services, later trams and all-night buses, dedicated matchday shuttle buses, and changes at key locations to help improve congestion.
It’s also worth noting that some TfGM staff are currently taking part in strike action until this Friday (28 November) meaning some facilities – such as ticket offices and toilets – may be closed, however bus and tram services will run as normal.
“The countdown to Christmas is now in full swing and Black Friday weekend is always sure to be one of the busiest times of the year for the city centre,” commented Danny Vaughan, who is TfGM’s Chief Network Officer.
“Public transport will be the best way to get around, save money, and avoid getting stuck in traffic [which is why] we’re providing 1,000 additional parking spaces with our pop-up park and rides, putting on late night services, and running as many buses and trams as we possibly can.
“We want to help people enjoy everything the season has to offer, so please remember to plan your journeys and leave yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going.”
Get all the latest travel updates this weekend on the Bee Network website here.
Kristen MacGregor-Houlston -
19th September 2025 
