What’s the deal with Moddershall Oaks Spa?
There’s something refreshing about a spa that doesn’t take the more dogmatic aspects of ‘wellness’ too seriously. At Moddershall Oaks Spa in Staffordshire, you can certainly count on being pampered, preened, and pruned without ever feeling like you’re denying yourself life’s finer pleasures. The outdoor heated vitality pool is more ‘glass of prosecco please”’rather than detox juice and a vitamin D tablet.
And if R&R accompanied by a Hugo Spritz is what you’re after, Moddershall Oaks more than delivers. Rooms were plush, robes were oh-so-soft and you got to enjoy the novelty of shuffling from the treatment room to the hydrotherapy pool to the sleep lounge in a pair of flip-flops. It’s fair to say we fully renounced closed-toe living for the duration of our visit. Oh, and the heating was on everywhere, all the time. We arrived on a freezing January weekend, and it felt like a real indulgence to swan around in our swimwear without worrying about the cold.
Treatments to book
We were lucky enough to enjoy the Calibrate massage as part of our stay. As with most spas, you can tailor the treatment to your fancy, including pressure and whether you want to engage in small talk. At £90 for 50 minutes, the massage feels spenny, but it’s worth it if you’re staying one or two nights. If you’re just coming for the day, your purse will thank you for choosing a good long soak in the hydrotherapy pool instead.
What about food and drink?
Dinner consisted of pub classics (beer-battered fish and chips, burgers and baltis) and was clearly a draw for locals, who filled up the dining room after arriving from the fairy-lit lake outside. Service finishes early at around 9pm, so book your slot pre-8pm to soak up some atmosphere before retiring to your room to recline on the impossibly plump cushions.
Getting there
While the countryside setting gives the spa a wholesome, fresh feel, it’s a bit of a drive from both Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent. If you’re arriving by train, it’s best to pre-book a taxi and prepare for a pretty windy journey.
