Rookery Hall Hotel & Spa is one of the newest additions to the UK's rapidly growing 'spa retreats'. Part of a 10 million pound development, the luxury health club and spa is located in the old stable buildings of Rookery Hall hotel, just a few miles from the town of Crewe in Cheshire. It's easily accessible in just over two hours from London by train (www.virgintrains.co.uk) and only 25 miles from Manchester.

I'd travelled down the previous day with my friend Sally – face it, with the weather we've been having recently we felt we were well entitled to a bit of girly pampering. The hotel is set in its own large grounds and looked wonderfully atmospheric as we drove up the long avenue.

Mix of old and new

It's a mix of old and new – a Georgian mansion with an appearance of a romantic French chateau houses the main reception, dining and drawing rooms – across the lawn is a spanking new conference building, while next door the state of the art spa has taken up residence in what was formerly the stables. It's a lovely space; the pool sits beneath a huge glass roof in the courtyard area, glass walls around three sides give a light and airy feel to the spa rooms behind.

We spend the evening swimming (Sally) and lounging about in the hydrotherapy pool (me); though I occasionally work up the energy to recline on one of the loungers that ring the poolside, magazine to hand. There's also a steam room and sauna poolside, and upstairs a good-sized gym – which I go and take a look at, shuddering at the effort of it.

Back in the executive bedrooms, we are pretty impressed with the LCD TV screen at the end of the bath – great for a blast of music video as I put on my makeup before dinner. The executive conference facilities in this part of the hotel include several meeting rooms and conference suites; while for private parties and weddings there's roof terraces and private bar areas – and of course all the old world charm of the manor house next door for the photos and drinks reception.

Leisurely dining

Speaking of drinks - we both find there's something very relaxing about lolling about on an over-stuffed sofa with a menu, champagne cocktails in hand, while waiting for our table to be prepared. We're in the drawing room – despite the name, it's more cosy than formal; there's also a salon, where take our coffee after dinner, and a morning room that looks exactly like it might have stepped out of an Agatha Christie novel. Large windows give gorgeous views onto the gardens – as do the windows from the dining room, a wonderfully atmospheric wood-panelled space which still has the feel of a family dining room (albeit a family of barons and lords!).

Dinner is delicious - as you would expect from award winning chef Gordon Campbell, who has worked in many top kitchens including the Michelin-starred L'Escargot. We look out at the beautiful stone fountain just beyond the glass and think that rain really does have a certain charm. (I continue to think this right up until the point we get back to wet London, when suddenly the rain doesn't seem so attractive anymore. Maybe there's a better quality of rain in Cheshire?)

Next morning I'm booked in for a Rasul mud treatment and discover that a really bad time for a power cut is when you've just slathered yourself – head to toe – in mud. And then the shower doesn't work!

Luckily the room was well equipped – and the water in the basins was working fine. The staff were great too, fantastically efficient and really helpful – though there was little they could do about the power cut that had affected the entire area, yet more fall-out from the bizarre summer of 2007.

And once the mud was removed I had an aromatherapy massage to look forward to, which left me feeling nicely mellow and relaxed. This was followed by a leisurely lunch from the spa brasserie – if you eat in the spa lounge you don't even have to change out of your robe and slippers. Such luxury for an everyday Monday - you could do worse than to bunk off work and discover the delights for yourself!

Information and booking

Rooms start at £110 based upon a double occupancy of two sharing a double or twin room; spa treatments from £32, day spa packages from £110; for more information visit www.handpicked.co.uk or phone 0845 0727533.
For train times and booking information, visit www.virgintrains.co.uk For more information on the Just Relax campaign from Enjoy England, visit www.enjoyengland.com/relax, or call 0845 603 6953 for a free brochure.

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