Ways to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul

Take some time out for yourself along the Great West Way and re-energise your mind, body and soul. Whether you’re keen on keeping fit or prefer taking it easy in a luxury spa, we hope you enjoy our top 10 ways to add some wellness to your trip.

1 CONNECT WITH NATURE

You just can’t beat pulling on your walking boots, getting out into the English countryside and breathing in that fresh, fresh air. The whole length of the route boasts wide, open landscapes just calling out to be explored. Rolling green downland. Fields of spring wildflowers. Tranquil lakes. Get away from the crowds and head out into these quintessentially English landscapes for some ultimate restorative me-time. Explore Richmond Park, London’s largest site of Special Scientific Interest and European Special Area of Conservation or visit one of the Great West Way’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from the North Wessex Downs, The Cotswolds to The Chilterns. Or why not take a walk around the grounds of one of the Great West Way’s National Trust gardens including Tyntesfield, Prior Park Landscape Garden and Lacock. For a faster pace join a Nordic Walking event with Bristol Nordic Walking. Or you might enjoy Alison Howell’s Foot Trails, Oldbury Tours or Tour & Explore with Anne Bartlett.

2. JOIN IN WITH A WELLNESS CLASS

No matter where you are on the Great West Way chances are you won’t be too far from a yoga or mindfulness class where you can join in the spirit with others. Luxury hotels and Health Retreats including Casterley Barn, Danesfield House and Hungerford’s Herongate Club all run

regular classes. If staying in Bath you might enjoy a one-day introductory session at the Bath School of Shiatsu & Yoga, and in Bristol yoga and holistic therapies are hugely popular. Wild Wolf’s Yoga, Bristol City Yoga and Bristol Yoga Space are all fairly central. You can even take part in a yoga session with SUP Bristol while on a paddleboard floating on the waterways of Bristol Harbourside.

3. STAY ON A FARM

To get an authentic feel for life on the land, wake up to the sound of cockerels at one of the fabulous farms along the Great West Way. Depending on what sort of experience you want, you could stay at a lovely luxurious farmhouse B&B like Marshwood Farm near Salisbury or Great Ashley Farm in Bradford-on-Avon. For the ultimate luxury experience stay in one of Buttle Farm’s beautiful barn conversions, awarded VisitEngland’s highest rating – 5*Gold, or for rustic-romance in a snuggly shepherd hut on rolling farmland head to Rushall Organics Farm. You could get stuck in with a full-on farm stay at Mill Farm in Devizes, offering lots of farm-based experiences alongside its accommodation, from badger watching to donkey rides.

4.BOOK A LUXURY SPA BREAK

If lounging about in a robe at a nice hotel with a glass of bubbles in one hand and a magazine in the other sounds like what you need then there’s plenty of choice on the Great West Way. Some of the best include The Roseate Reading, Monkey Island in Bray, The Langley in Buckinghamshire, Pennyhill Park in Surrey, Whatley Manor in Malmesbury and The Royal Crescent in Bath. Cricklade House and Woolley Grange Hotel in Wiltshire both have scenic locations ideal for that after dinner evening stroll. Or if you really want to splash out, make like a princess (or prince) for a spa retreat at Cliveden House. As well as various enticing pools, flotation experiences and treatments, they offer a Garden Oasis Purifying Experience - a combination of body brushing, massage and reflexology that promises to tease you back to tip top condition and to help you combat any fatigue caused from lockdown.

5.BRAVE A DIP

There are some magical places to go wild swimming along the Great West Way such as Avoncliff, a luscious river pool with a rope swing in Bradford-on-Avon, or Cock Marsh near Cookham where you’ll find sandy beaches to paddle out from and clear, clean waters. You might prefer to plunge into one of the historic lidos en route such as Clifton’s Victorian Lido in Bristol, and enjoy the invigorating feel of an outdoor swim, or with the luxury of changing rooms, Bristol Lido and the Thames Lido in Reading are much-loved by locals. You might also enjoy a refreshing soak in the natural thermal waters of the rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa.

6.HAVE A ‘ZOO’PER TIME

Whether your favourite animal is a monkey, lion, pig or a giraffe, you’re guaranteed to enjoy your day and re-energise exploring one of the many zoos or wildlife parks along the way. Visit Longleat, home to England’s only Koalas at Koala Creek, and meet their colourful macaws in an impressive parrot show display, explore rare breeds at Avon Valley Wildlife Park, become a ranger for the day at Bristol Zoo Gardens (the world’s 5th oldest zoo!), or celebrate World Lion Day on 10 August at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm. At Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm the little ones will love feeding, cuddling and petting the rabbits, pigs, goats, chickens, ponies, sheep and more, or just a short detour off the route at Cotswold Wildlife Park you can walk the Giraffe Walkway and be eye-to-eye with these amazing creatures.

7.GLAMP OR CAMP

For wellness you can’t beat sleeping in a yurt, glamping pod, rustic cabin or luxury treehouse. There’s no doubt, camping in the countryside along the Great West Way can be a magical experience, sitting round a fire pit, toasting marshmallows until they’re so gooey they nearly fall off the stick. Listening for the twit-twoooo of owls after dark. Sleeping under a dazzling blanket of stars. If you enjoy going off-grid then try The Farm Camp near Bath, or for a unique city stay try Uplands Treehouse in Bristol. If in search of some precious couples-only time head to Totteridge Farm in the heart of Vale of Pewsey. In what amounts to a Great British Glamp-off, some sites even offer experiences like mindfulness walks, guided birdwatching tours and cooking classes and most have outdoor spaces where you can sit and read a book or enjoy a sundowner cider with mesmerising views.

8.TRY YOUR HAND AT SOMETHING NEW

You might enjoy a bushcraft course with Survival School, Bristol, or learning about bee keeping with Wiltshire Beekeepers Association. Book a foraging experience with Experience Nomadic for a woodland foraging feast inspired by the wild ingredients that grow there in abundance. Take a creative course such as learning to weave at Whitchurch Silk Mill – or take part in a wellbeing summer course at Marlborough College in Wiltshire, once home to the Duchess of Cambridge during her school days. They run a wide range of workshops including a burgeoning selection of rural craft courses, an introduction to bee keeping, drawing and painting the landscape, code breaking and many more. If you’re interested in organic farming and happy to volunteer, WWOOF can even connect you with local smallholdings where you can learn new skills helping out around the farm.

9.GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL SIDE

If the wellness you seek is spiritual, you’ll find plenty of absorbing sacred spaces along the Great West Way, and where better to start than one of the almighty cathedrals? There’s the inimitable Bath Abbey, perfect for pondering higher spiritual planes, as well as Bristol, Salisbury and Gloucester cathedrals. Amid those you’ll also find churches, temples and mosques. A growing interest in mindfulness techniques means you can find meditation courses and retreats too. Tarastone near Salisbury offers Buddhist teachings as well as peaceful accommodation in a beautiful setting. Finally, you can feel the power of England’s pagan past at Stonehenge and Avebury - or, for a lesser-known experience, Stanton Drew. Sunset or sunrise at summer and winter solstice - signalling the longest and shortest days of the year - are when most of the celebrations take place, but they’re magical places of reflection whenever you visit. Early travellers between London and Bristol would surely have found comfort in these places, as every journey was a leap of faith that came with the threat of highwayman and unforeseen hazards.

10.TREAT YOURSELF

All sorts of delicious foods and drinks are produced along the Great West Way – fresh fruit and vegetables are grown, meat is reared,beer is brewed and gin is distilled. Sample some delicious local produce as you explore the wonderful farm shops. Pile your basket high with free range eggs, punnets of fresh strawberries, West Country cider, Cheddar cheese, Wiltshire smoked ham and more. Why not pack it all up in a hamper and find a spot to enjoy a leisurely picnic besides the canal or on a flower-strewn hillside? At Cobbs Farm Shop & Kitchen in Hungerford you will find a traditional butchery counter, delicatessen, fishmongers, and shelves stacked with locally-grown produce. Or dine in, with outdoors hospitality expected to reopen mid-April and indoors hospitality from mid- May, places will be welcoming you back to enjoy their pubs, restaurants and cafés along the route. Linger over an indulgent afternoon tea in a quaint country café. Sit down to a gourmet meal in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Sip local beer in sunny beer gardens... Whatever your tastes, there’s many a tantalising buffet foodie experience waiting to be savoured.