Feel-good NORTH YORKSHIRE

From spas to stargazing, this English county is the original home of wellbeing

- EMILY-ANN ELLIOTT

North Yorkshire likes to think it's the UK's home of wellness. Certainly visitors flocked to Scarborough from as early as 1660 to enjoy its healing springs, but while the days of drinking spa waters and entering the sea from the privacy of a bathing box may be long gone, the region still offers a whole host of activities to ensure guests leave feeling relaxed and recharged.

Unique spa days

Harrogate Turkish Baths (two hours from £27; turkishbathsharrogate.co.uk) opened its doors in 1897, and surprisingly little has changed in its traditional spa. Move between tiled rooms heated at different temperatures, taking regular dips in a refreshing plunge pool to cool down. For the ultimate pampering, follow up with a hammam treatment, featuring an invigorating full-body exfoliation.