12:12pm Saturday 20th February 2010
Nigel Burton admits a man-made forest village can give you a real taste of the great outdoors.
WHEN I was a kid, a holiday in the countryside was the most natural thing in the world. We didn’t think about the dangers.
Nowadays, I suspect we wrap our children up in cottonwool. The world seems a nastier place, with hidden threats lurking around every corner (or tree trunk, if you’re in the countryside).
Center Parcs offers the best of both worlds: the joy of simple play in woodland surroundings and the security of knowing that everything will be okay.
Nestling in 400 acres of spectacular pine trees, south-east of Penrith, in Cumbria, and just off the A66 from Appleby, the Whinfell park coexists with one of the last remaining red squirrel colonies in England.
The complex differs from other Center Parcs, so if you’ve been to Sherwood Forest or Longleat, don’t imagine a visit to Cumbria will be just the same.
A holiday village at Whinfell was announced way back in 1993. It was eventually built by Rank Leisure and called the Oasis Lakeland Holiday Village, thanks to its proximity to the Lake District National Park.
Back then, the woodland idyll coexisted uneasily with big name franchises such as Burger King and Hard Rock Cafe. When Center Parcs bought the park it removed the commercial ventures and replaced them with more up-market cafes and restaurants (although there’s still a place to buy burgers if you’re in a hurry).
It must be tricky juggling commercialism with a woodland habitat. Families need swimming pools, cafes and lots of things to do; couples prefer the quiet life and communing with nature.
Of course, if you visit at the height of summer, the forest tracks can be rather busy. Wherever you stroll within the complex, you’re never too far away from the tinkling sound of a bicycle bell warning someone to move out of the way.
But there are other ways to escape the hurly burly – even if you’re a parent with young children.
We tried the Aqua Sana spa experience, which offers a range of invigorating steam rooms, treatments and an outdoor swimming pool. Children aren’t allowed in this haven of tranquillity, so we booked Jack and Evie (both four years old) into the Time Out clubhouse where they were expertly looked after for the morning. By the time we returned both of them had designed their own Tshirt – and you get to take it home.
AS a first-timer to the trendy “multi-sensory experience”I appreciated a personal guide to explain the various steam rooms (all 14 of them), which I’d rate from fairly warm (Greek herbal bath), through hot (the Laconium) to “get me out of here I can’t breathe” (anything Japanese).
Each room is big enough for half a dozen people. You sit around sweating profusely, as the steam from hot coals gently opens your pores and the aromatic herbs calm and relax you.
Some of the rooms offer individual seating and jets of freezing cold water to prevent you overheating.
After the hottest room, it felt great to take a plunge in the outdoor pool to cool off a bit. I enjoyed the plates of fresh ■ Continued from Page 44 fruit dotted around the place and glugged back about a gallon of fresh orange juice afterwards.
Between sessions guests can take multi-sensory showers, ranging from a rain forest monsoon to a cold splash, chill in the Ice Room or simply chill out by the poolside. And if this sounds too energetic, there’s always the water beds. What a great way to detox.
Refreshments are available and the price includes towels and robes.
If you book for the whole day you’ll also enjoy a healthy two-course lunch and drinks.
A full day costs £80 or, if you fancy unwinding on an evening, why not try a twilight spa session, which includes a glass of bubbly, for a very reasonable £35. The Spa remains open until 9pm.
We didn’t have time to try a professional treatment. These range from £32 for an express aromatic facial, to £120 for a full his ’n’ hers body MOT, including Hawaiian wave massage and “welcoming foot ritual”, although I have to admit I’d probably give the cellulite and colon therapy a miss.
Of course, there’s far more to Center Parcs than just the Aqua Sana experience. Children, in particular, love the sub-tropical swimming paradise, Whinfell’s enormous swimming pool – although “swimming pool” doesn’t do justice to the myriad slides, whirlpools, wave machines and private steam pools this amazing arena contains. The Canyon Ride is the largest outdoor falling rapids ride in the UK and you can even try scuba diving.
Guests can use the pools for as long as they like and we spent hours splashing around. In fact, Jack and Evie would have been happy if we hadn’t moved from the poolside all holiday.
But we had to dry off because there was horse riding to be done.
We opted for a gentle pony trek through the forest. The trek lasts about an hour and all the kit you need is supplied. If the dads fancy something with a bit more horsepower there’s always quad bikes for hire.
We stayed in one of Whinfell’s new Woodland Lodges, designed by Tara Bernerd, from the London design consultancy Target Living. Ours slept six (two double beds and two singles) in some style. Every bedroom had en suite facilities and the main bedroom has a whirlpool bath.
If that’s occupied, you could always try the attached sauna room.
And there’s plenty of room to relax for those moments when you just need to take the weight off your feet.
Before we set off for Center Parcs I must admit to a degree of scepticism.
Could a self-contained “forest village”, especially one with a manmade leisure complex at its heart, really give a family a taste of the great outdoors?
Sometimes in life you just have to hold up your hands and say “I admit, I was wrong”. For a young family, a Center Parcs stay is the perfect retreat.
In fact, we’re already planning a return visit.
■ For more details, see center parcs.co.uk/villages/whinfell
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