Treatments and tranquility Alwalton Hall near Peterborough is now a wonderful wellness centre, but it has an illustrious past. Mary visits and finds out more
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LWALTON HALL IN the village of Alwalton is tucked away in Church Street and you’d never know it was there. Up a drive surrounded by acres of gardens it really is a secret hideaway, but minutes from the A1 so incredibly convenient to get to. And of course, just outside Peterborough. The house has a long and interesting history and has been added to extensively over the years. The land it is built on dates back 900 years. Alwalton Hall started out as Alwalton House and has a long history with the Fitzwilliam family. It is believed that the red brick part of the house is the earliest part, built by the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam around 1780. This earl took the extra name of Wentworth after inheriting the vast estates in or shire of a maternal uncle is son the fifth earl added the large limestone extension and renamed the house Alwalton Hall. This earl died at Wentworth-Woodhouse in Yorkshire in 1857. Since being extended the hall seems to have been used as a grace and favour residence for junior members of the Fitzwilliam family or rented out to wealthy gentlemen for short periods. This continued for many years until in 1922 it was sold to a Joseph Stephenson who appears to have lived there until WWII. In 1948 another well known name became the new owner, Frank Perkins of the Perkins Engines Group which he founded in Peterborough in 1932. He subsequently died at the Hall in 1957 aged 78. By this time his company, which he started with four other men, employed 7,000 people. There’s not much mention of many owners after that until 2004 when Brian and Maggie Jones bought it. They lived in it as a family home and brought their five children up here When the children had grown up and fled the nest Maggie and Brian decided it was time to share the house with other people. ‘It’s a beautiful house and we were rattling around in it,’ says Maggie. ‘ nitially we thought about a wedding venue but that did not fit in with planning regulations so we settled on a wellness centre and opened it in 2017.’ Maggie and Brian still live in part of the house.
Neither of them had any experience in the beauty sector but Maggie knew the strengths of the house. ‘The plan is that people come here to not do much; relax and connect with each other. Enjoy the house, the grounds and the tranquility. There’s no rushing here, you come to switch off ’ And that’s just what I did when I visited them. They had kindly invited me to come and have a massage with a facial, wash and blow dry (as in 2018 they opened a hair salon) and then afternoon tea. Well you don’t say no to an offer li e that! The house is stunning and sitting in one of the reception rooms it is easy to imagine you are an 18th century visitor - although I’d like to have been the resident! ll non invasive beauty treatments are on offer here and if you have a treatment you are then welcome to spend as long as you like enjoying the house and the grounds. Very cleverly guests hardly see each other so you do feel that you are in the house alone Maggie eeps numbers low and guests are always in different parts of the house. They are excellent hosts too. If you want fussing over, you’ll get that but if you really do want some peace and quiet and to curl up in a corner with your book, you are very welcome to do that too nd in the winter the fires are lit so now e actly where ’d be. he treatment rooms are upstairs and named after different countries and decorated accordingly. Rooms are spacious and comfortable and there is a suite of rooms for couples and friends wanting to have treatments together ifferent treatment pac ages are available. Alwalton use Decleor products which are natural and non invasive and after my facial I really could see a noticeable improvement. I looked brighter and well rested with the skin around my eyes looking tighter; which is a win, win situation for me. Before the facial I had a back massage as part of the treatment which is one of the best I’ve ever had. Firm and strong, it really did reduce the knots in my shoulders and neck; thank you. After that I left the main house and headed to the stables for a wash and blow dry. This hair salon is separate from the wellness centre so can be used by
42 September 2021 / theactivemag.com
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