REDISCOVER THE BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE IN... DEVON

WHAT? A luxe spa in the country WHERE? Ilsington Country House Hotel, Dartmoor

WHY? For rambling and pampering HOW MUCH? Double rooms from £125 per night, including breakfast; ilsington.co.uk

WHO? Nikki Osman, Features Editor A staycation? Really? Abso-bloody-lutely. Perched on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, with views so good you have to put your phone down and use your actual eyes, is the Ilsington – a traditional country hotel with a modern spa. This place has a location, location, location that would render Kirstie Allsopp speechless (think Wuthering Heights meets Poldark). But what would I do? Do ‘future old-age you’ proud and ramble for England; UK scenery doesn’t get much better than this, and your wearable tech won’t know what’s hit it – a 10,000 step count will suddenly seem decidedly small fry. The terrain is varied – the park offers calming riverside walks, or you can take on the steep hills and bogs of open moorland. And when the hard work’s over? Once your boots are suitably muddied, take the weight off in the hotel spa. It’s recently had a makeover – and it’s one worth bragging about (as is spending so long in the spa you have to be asked to leave at closing time). As well as the usual features – a swimming pool befitting of a footballer’s basement, steam room and sauna – you can relax with a dip in the hydrotherapy pool. But the highlight is the kubel dusche. Don’t let the fancy name fool you, it’s basically a bucket on a string. But this is one fancy bucket. And after a spell in the sauna, the cold water raining down on you is a feeling akin to being reborn. Food = pub grub? Hardly. After spa kick-out, head to the Ilsington’s restaurant, where everything on the menu is locally sourced. Menus are seasonal (natch), but typical dishes include a delicate cauliflower cream and a melt-in-yourmouth slow-cooked lamb shoulder. The only downside is the guilt you feel when you bump into one of its woolly siblings on a ramble the next day.