The Spa at Furzefield

A brand new spa has opened at Furzefield Leisure Centre in Potters Bar and it’s a goodie. A few days before the official opening I was invited to take a look around try it out and I loved it – and it’s conveniently close to Barnet.

The Spa at Furzefield offers bookable treatments featuring Decléor, CND Shellac and St Tropez products in four comfortable rooms, but the main attractions are the saunas and steam room. Particularly on a depressingly cold and wet “summer” evening.

The changing area is mixed with easy-to-use lockers, loos and shower cubicles. Hairdryers and straighteners are also available, but remember to take a towel, swimming cossie and flip-flops (but see packages below). As you go through to the sleek, minimal spa area, there are heated stone benches and you have the choice of the aroma steam room (up to 46°C), herbal sauna (up to 85°C and with a subtle juniper aroma on my visit) and the eye-catching salt sauna with the coral-coloured Himalayan salt wall. There is also an ice fountain and a decent powerful shower with handheld and overhead rainfall options. I like to instantly cool down after the intense heat and these worked fine. Alternating the hot and cold is so good for the circulation – it’s great to feel that tingle.

The simplest option is a two-hour session for £14, but you can trade up to a “Relaxing Spa Experience” (£45) which lasts four hours and includes use of the swimming pool, choice of a mini-facial or back, neck and shoulder massage and use of a robe and flip flops. A six-hour session that also incorporates a fitness class is £60 and monthly membership for £39 is also available.

As so much goes on at Furzefield, parking might get a bit tricky, but, otherwise this is a really attractive new local facility. (And, chatting to the staff, the previous “health suite” and its tired old jacuzzi won’t be missed too much.)