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Welcome to the second iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, an index of the 100 best spas in the world, built from the expertise of our global editors and trusted contributors. There is a lot to choose from in the world of wellness, and no matter how far you’re planning to travel—from a subway ride to a trans-Atlantic flight—we want to make sure it’s worth the journey. Whatever your path, let us be your guide.
Why go here?
The Newt in Somerset is nestled between the market towns of Bruton and Castle Cary in the English countryside, about a two-and-a-half hour drive from London Paddington Station. The property is surrounded by expansive, fairytale-worthy formal gardens designed by Italian French architect and landscape designer Patrice Taravella. They include a parabola lined with apple trees and plotted in a Baroque-style maze, as well as an ample kitchen garden, brimming with over 350 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs used in all of The Newt’s farm-to-fork offerings and spa treatments.
What’s the vibe?
At the heart of the 800-acre sprawl of woodland orchards and gardens is Hadspen House, a restored 17th-century limestone manor, updated in the Georgian era. Inside the house, you’ll find an array of thoughtfully designed spaces: a cozy living room with a wood-burning fireplace, vibrant velvet seating, and portraits of the Hobhouse family (who lived at Hadspen for over two centuries). There’s also a gilded cocktail bar with teal walls and colorful bamboo chairs. The spa—cast in Hadspen stone—includes a sauna, a steam room, and an indoor-outdoor pool. It offers an array of farm-to-treatment-table experiences, all of which harness ingredients from the property’s medieval herb garden.
The history?
For centuries, the land surrounding The Newt was used to farming. The spa is partially located in (as well as behind and under) what was once a Byre, or cowshed. Behind it, a barn was used to house the cows during the winter, and certain structural features were designed to accommodate them: Circular pillars, for instance, prevented the cows from dislodging bricks when rubbing up against them. Converting these historic grounds was a six year process, and the hotel and spa opened in 2019.
What should you try?
Some treatments, like the Garden Signature Massage, begin with a barefoot, sense-igniting meander through the gardens, where guests can harvest their own herbs (which are later put to use in teas or infused steam treatments). Other standouts include the transportive head-to-toe Turkish and Moroccan hammam soap treatments, where the body is gently polished inside a private marble-lined steam chamber with a mesmerizing blue mosaic ceiling. You can also go for a dip in the Farmyard’s spectacular indoor pool, built in a former high-rise barn with wooden beams crafted by local artisans.
“Finding ourselves in an increasingly fast-paced world, we like to think of The Newt as a refuge from the hustle and bustle of daily life—a place to reconnect with nature and yourself and reap the rewards of slowing down,” says Antonella Bonetti, head of experience at The Newt, listing cold dips, woodland walks, and bee safaris as some of the many ways guests can reconnect with nature on the property.
How environmentally friendly is it?
From hires to suppliers, The Newt endeavors to keep things as local as possible. As they put it, they are counting the number of steps that the food travels, rather than the miles. This is the kind of place where environmentalism is baked into the operational architecture, and no detail is overlooked. Most places aren’t likely to devote much thought to apple pulp waste from a cider press; here it becomes a yeast starter for sourdough. That’s just one of many instances in which careful consideration of the environment is at the heart of the operations.
Who can go?
The Newt really is a ticks-all-the-boxes destination: good food, great wine, sublime spa. But it can also be a getaway for the entire family. Hotel guests and members of The Newt have access to the spa facilities.
--Adapted from Lauren Valenti.
Booking details for The Newt
Address: A359, Hadspen, Castle Cary BA7 7NG, United Kingdom
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.