Travel & Tourism

Three Horseshoes – the spa where you can relax on the beach just minutes from the Peak District

And with no risk of seagulls.

Kristen MacGregor-Houlston - 6th September 2024

Well, it’s been a year already and it’s only just September. There’s been riots, elections, celebrity breakups, it has been A LOT and I’m knackered. With so much going on in the world and trying to find time to eat, sleep, socialise, clean the house and remember to breathe, we all deserve a little escape to unwind.

Less than an hour from Manchester sits the wonderful Three Horseshoes Hotel & Spa, where you can relax in a spa, AND kick back in an award-winning pub all in one place.

With a whole host of treatments to choose from and their waterwheel room with an ice cold plunge pool, sauna and steam room, all with an extra dose of history, it is the perfect place to relax your mind and muscles.

On arrival, the staff are incredibly welcoming, a sense of calm ripples through the space making you feel instantly relaxed.

Our room wasn’t ready just yet so we were guided into the spa space and handed fluffy towels and robes to relax in.

There is a fun ‘service button’ when you want a drink or something to eat and everything is brought to wherever you’re relaxing.

Outside are a number of comfy seats to recline in and there is a hot tub pool to relax in.

On our visit the weather is warm and the sun is shining intermittently, perfect for sitting outside.

We could order breakfast, lunch and cocktails to the spa (which we did, obviously) and it feels like such a treat. Everyone feels like a VIP.

We indulged in a ham hock and fondue sandwich, and blue cheese and mushrooms on toast from their light bites section, both of which were delicious. The cocktails were divine and there was plenty to choose from and spoil yourself with.

The spa has a giant water wheel which harks back to the building’s history and heritage and doubles up an one of the initial ‘treatments’ as part of the experience.

Guests are encouraged to go through a cycle of cold and hot experiences, starting with a drench from the water wheel, before moving into the stone bath steam room.

There is a jazzy contraption that lifts hot stones and dumps them into cold water, flooding the room with steam to help relax your muscles.

After 15 minutes of heat you then jump (probably don’t actually jump, it is slippy) into the ice cold plunge pool, which as you might have guessed, is freezing.

I lasted significantly longer than my other half but it was definitely a battle after being so warm.

They have the Farmers Sauna which is delightful post plunge pool. All of the spa spaces are designed with the history of the building and area in mind which makes the space feel extra special.

We had the opportunity to try out the Beach Hut experience which replicates a sunrise to sunset to give you a heavy dose of vitamin D while you relax in the nice warm sand without fear of being harassed by seagulls.

Being by the seaside in the middle of Staffordshire is an odd experience for the senses but we really enjoyed it. We also both had a mixed massage and facial, where we talked through our skin type needs and then lay back and let the masseurs knead our backs like bread dough.

Our room was incredibly cosy. We had a four-poster bed and I’d let the team know that it was our wedding anniversary so they made the space extra special.

We had a gorgeous little hot tub in our private garden which was perfect to relax in before going across to the pub for dinner.

The Three Horseshoes country inn is an award winning restaurant with loads to choose from and the products are all sourced locally. There are stunning views of the Staffordshire peaks for you to enjoy while you dine.

In the winter it will be the perfect spot to sit by roaring fires and getting cosy with pals.

You can get a roast every day of the week between 12-2 and all day on a Sunday which sounds ideal to me.

We had to try their famous sponge pudding which was delicate and fluffy, served with gallons upon gallons of custard. Their limoncello tiramisu was the perfect balance of tart and sweet (and a little bit boozy). Breakfast is also served here buffet style, which is how breakfast should always be served in my humble opinion.

So if you’re looking for a reason to escape the rat race, then the Three Horseshoes in Leek is the place for you.

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Featured image: The Manc Group