We asked Gillian Panter, the multi-talented interior designer at Kay Elliott Architects, to talk us through her creative process in bringing The Brackenrigg Inn back to life.
Fellside Sauna
Glowing embers, rising steam and wood-scented warmth enveloping body and mind. Whether it’s quiet solitude or a chance to tap into sauna’s sociable side, we’re getting ready to welcome an autumnal residency down where lake waters meet the shore with Fellside Sauna.
Guests can book the Fellside Sauna online or as part of the Head for the Fells three-night break.
“The idea for Fellside Sauna came about when I was travelling in New Zealand,” says Laura Johnson, the force behind Fellside Sauna. “I was doing a ski season and ended up settling in a little town called Wanaka, beside a beautiful lake in the South Island.”
“It was winter, and a mobile sauna popped up on the lake's shoreline,” she recalls. “After a hard day skiing, you could have a cold swim followed by a sauna, and you’d meet lots of different people, all discussing your days and adventures. Sitting there in the heat, I thought, ‘I could take this back to the Lake District,’ and the seed was planted.”
"As I sat there in the heat, I thought, ‘I could take this back to the Lake District,’ and the seed was planted."
Coming home
A familiar face around the hotel, Laura’s been a staple of the Another Place breakfast scene for almost five years. “I've got a lovely long-standing relationship with the hotel, having been pouring coffees and chatting to guests a couple of days a week since 2019,” she explains.
As well as being a valued team member, Laura also runs her newly established psychotherapy practice in the nearby town, Penrith, making her one busy lady, “but,” she assures us, “I'm busy with things that are good for the soul.”
Gravitating to the Lakes after her time in the Southern Hemisphere, it was back at Ullswater that Laura’s sauna seed began germinating. “I spoke to David (the hotel’s director) about the idea for a lakeside sauna, and he was really open to it. It was so encouraging,” she recalls. Then, thanks to some happy coincidences, the offer of a spare trailer, and an old school friend owning the UK’s leading sauna material company, the vision quickly started taking shape.
“Once I’d got the trailer I designed it all and started building it (with lots of help from my partner and my dad),” Laura says. Based on a traditional Finnish design, where sauna users sit above the steam, Laura was also keen to incorporate a social element into her design. “That was what I took from the saunas in New Zealand, how you were able to meet and chat with other people as you relaxed.”
“What I took from the saunas in New Zealand was how you were able to meet and chat with other people as you relaxed.”
And, of course, keeping it as close to nature as possible, Laura chose to go log-fired, “I felt that it was important that we’re sat in nature and using nature’s warmth. Thankfully, I can tap into a lot of regenerative wood sources around here. ”
With a strong connection to the Lakes and the elemental nature surrounding them, Laura is no stranger to the Ullswater shores. “I’m really into cold swimming”, she says, “Ullswater is my closest Lake, and being so fortunate to work at Another Place, I often swim straight from there. Or, I’ll dip in the tarns if I'm on the fells, and Durdan Water is also a favourite of mine.”
Despite being a hardy coldwater enthusiast, the aftermath of the outdoor swim is still something Laura struggles with, “I must admit, I do find it hard getting out and feeling cold afterwards, especially after getting back from New Zealand, which softened me a bit.” So now, leading from her own post-swim experience, she’s looking forward to giving swimmers a way to warm up in comfort. “it’s going to be really nice to offer people something after cold swimming that's a little bit closer to a spa experience, yet far more accessible and grounded.”
The sauna movement
With the rise in outdoor saunas, with many appearing around the coastlines of the UK, Laura knew that it was only a matter of time until the Lakes got in on the action. “I think people now realise there's a much more holistic way of looking after yourself, and saunas really fit in well with that,” she says.
While the benefits of sauna bathing are slipping into the mainstream consciousness, Laura believes that “there’s never a one size fits all benefit from sauna. Using it in the morning can leave you feeling energised, boosting your endorphins for the day ahead. But if you use it in the evening, it can be a lovely wind down.”
From improved circulation to lowering anxiety levels, the physical effects are well documented by science, yet the emotional side of the experience is one that Laura doesn’t want to downplay. “Relaxing in the sauna gives you a sense of feeling really looked after, feeling cared for in the warmth,” she explains. “And then you also feel challenged by the cold. Together, it's enlivening.”
Bring the heat
From the 9 September, the Fellside Sauna will settle into its seasonal spot on Another Place’s lake shore, ready for guests and visitors to embrace the heat.
With daytime sessions and periods earmarked solely for Another Place guests, Laura’s eagerly awaiting her first heat-seeking guests. “One of the best ways I can imagine people using the sauna is to combine it with a swim in the lake or cold plunge in the tub next to the sauna.” And while she’s keen for guests to use the sauna to unwind and relax in any way they want, she’d also love to encourage the social aspect of the practice.
“With hour-long sessions, you have plenty of time to get into it, which means you often end up telling people stories or connecting to the people around you,” she says. “After that, you can make your way to the gorgeous Sheep Shed for a hot shower before having a coffee in the hotel, and just continue that connection with others.”
Another Place guests can book their sauna session through reception on arrival or by visiting the Fellside Sauna website.
From the blog
Jo Tinsley teaches us how to travel slowly in the Lake District.
Shapeshifters, dancers, agents from another dimension or royal dinner? We pause to consider the noble swans that frequent our Ullswater shores.