USP The Ickworth Hotel occupies the East Wing of a National Trust property and is one of only three Trust properties that is used as a hotel (the others are Cliveden in Berkshire and The Causeway Hotel in County Antrim). The approach to the Grade II listed building, through elegant parkland designed by landscape architect Capability Brown, makes for a grand entrance, but the showstopper is the 18th-century Rotunde, designed to mimic the architecture of classical Rome. The spa is in the basement of the hotel, in the former kitchens and servants quarters, but high ceilings and huge windows make the four treatment rooms feel spacious nevertheless. Original features, such as fireplaces, coving and even bits of the old kitchen and laundry machinery remain, giving the rooms more character than your average hotel spa.

AMBIENCE The temperature of the treatment room was just right – something that spas all too often get wrong, and the music, although of the banal ethnic spa genre, disappeared into the background at a tolerable volume. After the treatment, a gentle wander around the house grounds in the fresh air was far better therapy than any relaxation room (absent at Ickworth), albeit I had to change out of my bathrobe. Despite the spa’s location near the kids’ clubs, the treatment was peaceful, thanks to the original walls providing an effective sound barrier.

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE My treatment room had a large shuttered window, neutral décor and a bath and shower, presumably for the hydrotherapy bath treatment and body scrubs. My therapist, Janice, had a soothing demeanour and after discussing what I wanted to get from the treatment - released tension and some invigoration - we settled on 30 minutes of back and shoulder massage and 30 minutes of reflexology. Both were spot on in terms of pressure, and Janice confirmed this with me throughout the treatment as well as making sure I was happy with the temperature.

It was only the second time I’d had reflexology, and I was more impressed with this session than the last. Janice correctly diagnosed that I was getting over a cold by sensing tension across the top of my foot, the area that reflects lymphatic drainage in the body (and no, I hadn’t been giving it away with sniffs). Aside from the supposed powers of reflexology to relieve problems elsewhere in the body, having a foot rub was relaxing and left my feet moisturised and soothed after too many nights spent in high heels.

IN CROWD The hotel is popular with wealthy London couples with young children because of its child-friendly policy and facilities including tennis, swimming, horse riding, cycling, trampolining, babysitting and more.

FOOD There are two restaurants - Frederick’s is the child-free restaurant and is decked in sultry purple with a candlelit ambience, a stark contrast to the Conservatory, with its elegant arched windows overlooking the garden, and rich greenery against a white wall. At Frederick’s a three-course dinner without wine costs £37.50. Lighter dishes on offer include wild seabass poached in vanilla oil, which was tasty and served in portions that didn’t leave you too full – so there was plenty of room for hot praline hazelnut ravioli, which was melt-in-the-mouth delicious. In the Conservatory, Sunday lunch must be booked, and a more healthy option than the roast beef was Dover sole with nettle risotto, which was fresh and flavoursome. Two courses cost £19.95 and three courses £26.95, and there are plenty of vegetarian options. Breakfast in the Conservatory, served 7.30am-10am, offered juices, yoghurts, fresh Bircher muesli, cereals, pastries, breads and limited fresh fruit (an apple and orange-rich fruit salad and some melon), as well as hot food including some of the tastiest pork and leek sausages I’ve tried, which are sourced from a nearby farm.

WALLET WATCH Massages start from £55 for 55 minutes and facials from £32 for 25 minutes. More interesting options include a body mud wrap with scalp massage (£55 for 55 minutes) and reflexology (£47 for 55 minutes). There are also treatments specifically for men and pregnant women.

NEED TO KNOW Aquae Sulis, The Ickworth Hotel and Apartments, Horringer, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP29 5QE (01284 735350; www.aquaesulis.net) e-mail: info@ickworthhotel.co.uk; www.ickworthhotel.co.uk

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