Historic Boringdon Hall’s new spa in Dartmoor, England, to offer open-air treatments

Boringdon Hall will open a multi-million pound spa development in Devon, England, in the midst of the rugged moorland of Dartmoor.

The 1,700sq m (18,299sq ft) Gaia Spa, set to open in Q2 2016, is named after the Greek goddess of the earth, and will “set the benchmark for innovative treatments focusing on health and wellbeing,” the company said.

Gaia Spa will house 12 treatment rooms (including two doubles), a deep relaxation area, heat treatment facilities, a gym, a 14m (46ft) swimming pool, a thermal pool for hydrotherapy and the Spatisserie restaurant. The spa will also offer open-air treatments in the surrounding meadows for a unique sensory experience.

The new spa, designed by Plymouth-based Design Development architects, is a strikingly modern building constructed of glass, wood and stone that was inspired by the surrounding moorland.

The hotel itself is steeped in history; housed in a manor house that Henry VIII gifted to one of his most favoured courtiers, it features Elizabethan architecture, imposing stone towers, secret archways and curious arrow slits.

Nevertheless, the company said the modern spa will harmonise with the hotel’s Elizabethan architecture.

The spa, managed in-house by Boringdon’s sister company Gaia Spa, will use its own brand of natural products, developed from spa director Diane Nettleton’s travels to China, Indonesia, Portugal and Australia, as well as ESPA products.

Gaia Spa Developments, the team behind Cornwall’s Fistral Spa, consulted on the project. The spa is expected to cater to hotel guests and also be a destination spa.